


Flower Child

by fluffynarwhal



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Brief Narry but that is never detailed, F/F, Fem!Harry, Fem!Louis, I can't reveal the plot twist yet because it will ruin the entire story, Idk if that will give anything away, Little to no smut, M/M, Multi, Plot Twist, Pregnancies?, fem!larry, fluff in later chapter, just wait, larry stylinson - Freeform, past ziam problems, some smut but not detailed, ziam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-07-11 23:11:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15982490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffynarwhal/pseuds/fluffynarwhal
Summary: A yellow flower tucked behind her ear. Guitar notes ripping through Lou's bones. Her voice walked right up to Lou, stole her dignity, and shoved it in her back pocket. Basically, Lou was gone the second the mystery girl opened her mouth.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Wow another story while I'm working on two others. LOL WELLLLLLLLLLLLL
> 
> As everyone knows, all my love goes to my wonderful readers. At this moment, I have big plans for this story. I'm going to keep it around 10-15 chapters just for the sake of my sanity. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know! 
> 
> This is a Fem!Larry story so if you don't like that kind of thing, you probably want to turn back now. 
> 
> As always, I love you all. 
> 
> xx
> 
> K

Writing a book is devil's work. Countless hours of writing a scene, just to delete it all and rewrite four separate times. Planning out the characters just to change their plotline in the story multiple times, and then delete the character in its entirety because he/she didn't make sense in the first place, and you don't want a random character that readers won't love. Finally, being done with the first ten chapters, but hating chapters three and seven, so you switch them, then delete them, so now you're down two chapters. Yeah, writing a book is the devil's work.

Louis Tomlinson, Uni student, aspiring author, and lover of tea. Born of Doncaster, with more siblings than she could keep up with, and a loving mother who gave her support from day one. You see, Lou was in Uni to study Drama and English for the sole purpose of being able to write a book one day. Drama was something she loved from when she stared in multiple plays in school, so it made sense to study that as well. If she could land a teaching gig, she could collect the funds to make her book happen.

There are two problems with that scenario. One, University was one beast she still couldn't tame. Classes drug on during the day, and she was up to her eyebrows in homework. Drama was fun, and it was a joy to attend, but the schematics of the classes were wearing down on her mental stability. So, the very idea that she would graduate with her classmates seemed so far fetched, she wondered if she would even be able to get that teaching gig. Two, English classes were some of her favorite, but again, the background information was doing her in, and the book she'd been working on was getting so frustrating, that one day she physically gagged when she thought about it.

Lou's book was a fictional tale of a beautiful young lady, born of fire and raised in hell. The character, Helena, finds herself trapped in a race to save her family from the depths of despair. Lou had the outline of the novel in place before she began writing because that was what she was taught to do. However, after writing for days on end, something about the novel seemed almost cheesy. It was easy to bring Helena into the story, mainly because Lou felt attached to her. They were similar in many cases and their background stories aligned in ways even Lou couldn't figure out.

The only person to ever read the story, or what Lou had written so far, was her best friend and confidant, Liam Payne, the only steady thing in her life.

They met at a festival one year when the poor boy was being tossed around in a crowd pit. Lou was there in a rebellious act against her family after an especially heated row over her attendance for Uni later on down the line. She found Liam, rescued him, and took him to find drinks to calm his nerves. After bringing him out of a panic attack, he stuck with her for the rest of the weekend, claiming she was an angel sent from heaven above, and he had to protect her. Ironic, Lou referred to the weekend, because after saving his life, he felt he had to protect hers. It was all in good fun, and they eventually found their way to a beautiful friendship. Liam and Lou kept in touch for years, and spent their weekends in his room or hers, Lou meticulously going over every inch of her book, and Liam watching over protectively while he played video games.

Liam read Lou's book one morning after a particularly rowdy night at a pub. She wasn't going to let him read it at all until it was finished, but with her being in a state, he cornered her and she caved. (Apparently, Liam's hangovers didn't last more than two hours, while Lou's were pretty much all day). Lou agreed, only after drinking a full cup of tea to sooth her headache, and handed a physical copy over to Liam to get him to leave. He thoroughly enjoyed what he was given, and often gave Lou tips on characters and scenes.

Lou's story was beginning to threaten deletion until she stumbled upon a pub one night. The entire day was spent analyzing notes and finishing homework, Liam helping her revise. She had woken up at nine in the morning and promised herself that she'd get through her British Literature class revision. Liam brought her lunch, bless him, and stayed afterward to help her. Liam went over flash cards she had made, called out author's names and had Lou give him the answer, and even read some excerpts to have Lou give him the name of the piece it was out of.

  
The clock in Lou's dorm room chimed, causing Liam to snap out of his trance in her Brit Lit book and stare at the time. "Jesus, Lou, we've been at this for seven hours," he whined. Lou swatted his comment away and closed the book she was looking over.

"Seven hours of revising is what I needed, you tit," she replied and stood from her place on her bed, stretching out her limbs to get rid of the numb feeling. "I'm not even done yet," she added and tossed her philosophy book at him.

"Nope, not happening," Liam replied, throwing the book on Lou's bed. Lou groaned and rolled her eyes.

"You're an awful revising partner," Lou noted. Liam gave her a halfhearted smile.

"Be that as it may, you should probably take a break," he stated. "You're going to get a migraine with your head stuck against book covers." Lou took her books from the bed and stacked them all on top of her desk. "Plus, there's this open mic thing tonight at Del Amor and it sounded pretty cool."

"But... but revision..." Lou trailed away. Liam gave her a glare and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Can wait, Lou. Come with me, and tomorrow I'll leave you alone to do all the revising you wish. You can even bring your laptop tonight," Liam begged, batting those poor puppy eyes, all brown eyes and eyelashes. It was tragic, his face. So tragic that Lou couldn't stand to look at it anymore. So, she caved with a glutaral growl and flipped him off as he went out the door.

So, there she sat, laptop perched on top of a table next to a martini glass with some concoction Liam had brought her. Speaking of Liam, he sat quietly beside her, sipping on his whiskey and coke, humming and bobbing his head along to the music being played. Lou had gotten a fair start at a new chapter, and she was beginning to put Helena together in terms of the story. All in all, the night was starting off pretty fucking well.

The bar they humored was small, but just large enough to have a sitting area, along with a condensed stage for acts to perform. An open bar sat near the seating area for guests to come and go as they pleased for drinks. It was pretty bare for a student function, but as a bar on a Friday night, Lou couldn't figure out why more students didn't show up. She glanced around the room, scanning for faces that she might recognize, but found none, aside from the blonde beauty that was her partner in biology her freshman year, and a brown eyed boy she'd fancied from day one in her orientation course.

The pretty blonde was named Niall, an Irishman, who was the very embodiment of Irish charm. That damned smile, paired with his silly laugh... well Lou was a sucker for charming. But the brown eyed boy... oh Christ in heaven help her. His name was Zayn. He was all chiseled jawline, silky black hair, and eyelashes longer than Liam's. (She even wrote a character based solely on him, almost considered him a love interest for Helena, but decided against it, claiming Helena was destined for greater things.) When Lou first met Zayn, albeit in passing, she gushed for two hours to Liam just about his eyes. Liam, feeling very offended, dumped a glass of cold water on her to 'cool her down' and didn't speak to her for three days. That aside, Lou was happy to see familiar faces in the empty crowd of the bar.

Liam was sat with his legs up in the chair next to him, still sipping quietly, and watching Lou type away feverously on her keyboard. She paid no attention to the surrounding group around the stage, and instead, found herself immersed in writing the scene where Helena embarks on her journey. Liam leaned over and shoved Lou out of her trance, nodding over to the stage where a man with a microphone huddled on.

"Welcome to open mic night, Ladies and Gents!" the man beamed. Lou rolled her eyes and took a healthy gulp of her drink. She quickly saved the document she was working on just in case. "Tonight is a very special night. It seems that Professor Jackson is here with a few of her students. So, please, give them respect. Up first we have Paul Roberts!" Behind the man, a tall, lanky boy, probably a freshman, sulked on stage. His hands shook as he set up his sheet music on the stand given and readied himself. A backing track played through the speakers as he took a deep breath.

The first act on stage wasn't bad, per say. His voice was deep, and his notes rang crystal clear through the bar. Lou gave Liam a questioning look and dove back into her story. At this point in her story, Helena was finally leaving her home and starting her journey. She had met a lovely young lady named Margot, who took her to a safe place to sleep. Before she knew it, the scene was nearing a close, and the young man was finishing his set. Three songs in, three different covers of songs written by indie groups, and the boy was being ushered off the stage by the Big Man with the Microphone.

"He wasn't so bad," Liam noted and stood from his chair. "I'm getting another. Want one?" he asked motioning towards Lou's drink. She contemplated the idea, chugged the rest of her drink and handed it off to Liam with a smile. Guess it was a night to get plastered.

"Thank you, love," Lou mused and watched as Liam sauntered over to the bar. She turned her attention back towards her computer but felt her hands cramp, so opted for stretching out her wrists, and leaning back in her chair to survey the bar once more. Niall was sitting with Zayn at a table with a girl who had her back turned to Lou. Her frame was tall, slender. Her hair was long and curly, and it sported a single flower, but Lou couldn't see what kind it was. Both boys seemed very wrapped up in their conversation with her, that she almost didn't hear the Big Man announce the next act. To Lou's surprise, the girl with them stood and grabbed her guitar from the floor. Lou looked back to the stage and tried to remember the name that was called but couldn't, for the life of her, bring it to light. The girl leaned down and kissed Zayn's cheek before ascending the stage.

"Big round of applause for Paul!" the Big Man was back. Lou gave Paul a short clap and watched as the girl took her spot in a chair. Lou glanced over to the bar where Liam was walking back with two drinks in hand. "The stage is yours, love," the man commented. Liam sat back down and handed a drink over to Lou.

"Hey, did you hear the name of this girl?" Lou asked after taking a sip. Liam swallowed thickly and shook his head.

"No, I was busy at the bar. Why, you know her?" he wondered. Lou looked back to the stage and felt her stomach drop. This girl was beautiful.

"I thought I did – maybe in one of my classes?" Lou replied. Liam nodded along and pulled his feet back up in the chair.

"So," the girl on stage began, "I know at most of these things, students just do covers and such. But I, being the odd ball that I am," a quiet laugh roared across the audience, even from Niall, "will not be doing a cover." The girl tuned her guitar and strummed a chord. "I wrote this little piece during my freshman year, but I had a couple friends help me out here recently," she explained, pointing in the crowd to Niall and Zayn who shouted and pumped their fists in the air. "I hope you enjoy it. Here's an original called  _To the Heart_."

Lou took one more sip of her drink and tried to relax as the girl began to sing.

_Christ._

Lou's breath hitched in her throat as the first line of the song echoed through the bar. The girl's voice was silky, easy, and gentle with a hint of a raspy undertone. Lyrics floated through the area and left an impression on each and every person. The way her hands strummed the guitar with precision, knowing each chord and note to go along with it, well that made Lou's heart thud against her chest. The girl sang with her chest, which is so much more than singing with her head. It's a difference of tone and control. (Singing with your head more of a soprano whistle, while singing with your chest is meatier, almost provides more girth to the notes). The yellow flower that was tucked behind her ear matched the beautiful tones that slipped from her mouth. Basically, this girl was stealing Lou's heart as seconds passed.

Liam broke Lou out of her thoughts with a shove of his elbow. She snapped her head in his direction to find him smiling smugly under the dim lighting of the bar. She raised an eyebrow in question, which he responded to with pointing to his own mouth and making a show of wiping it off.

"You're drooling, weirdo," Liam stated. Lou rolled her eyes and looked back to the stage. The girl was nearing the end of her song by the looks of it, and with one look around the bar, Lou found Zayn and Niall already on their feet ready to whoop and holler for their friend. The girl opened her eyes and glanced over to her friends, the edges of her mouth quirking up in a smile. Her gaze then shifted to meet Lou's, and for a split second, time stopped. Lou stopped breathing as the beautiful flower child did the most unspeakable thing.

She winked.

She looked right at Lou and fucking winked. 

And that's how Lou realized that this girl before her, a beautiful poem just waiting to be written, was the very inspiration that she needed to finish writing story. Once the girl was finished, the crowd that accumulated in front of the stage whooped and yelled, which, they had good reason to. She climbed off the stage into Niall's arms and then Zayn's. Suddenly, the drink Lou was nursing was empty, and she felt a short pang of jealousy. Jealous of the two boys who had her undivided attention. One glance at Liam signaled to go home, and he agreed reluctantly, offering to carry her laptop because she looked upset. Later on, Lou would thank Liam for being understanding. 

After that night, Lou's story was moving along swimmingly. The girl, who was still unnamed, played a very drastic role in the book. Lou had written in a character by the name of Camilla, who was a love interest to Helena. The book had moved up to twenty-three chapters in the course of a month. 

Every other weekend, due to Lou's investigative skills and too many free coffees for Liam, she'd figured out when Mystery Girl would play at the bar. Eventually, Liam grew tired of referring to her as Mystery Girl, so he came up with a new name: Flowers. Lou laughed about it for a few moments before she realized what Liam was talking about. The first night Lou had been subjected to her magnificent beauty, she was sporting a single flower in her hair. It was fitting, honestly. 

The first weekend Lou showed up to the bar, Flowers was there without Niall nor Zayn. That night Flowers wore a silk peach colored blouse that exposed the tattoos on her arms, with a pair of black shorts that showed off her thigh tattoo. Lou stared a bit longer than she should have as she marveled at the tattoos that lined her body. Flowers climbed the stage and got ready for her set. By that time, Lou already had her laptop up and running. As soon as the girl began to sing, her fingers dove in, finishing up a chapter she began the previous night. 

Most nights, Flowers sang the same songs, ones that she'd written herself. Other nights she would just sing cover songs that Lou noticed from the radio. Each and every song that was played, Lou got further and further in her book, and was nearing the end of her rough copy. 

Liam only attended with Lou once in a blue moon. He'd come for a night out, only to sit with Lou and whine about his love life. Liam would grab his drink and sit next to Lou at their designated table, watching over her shoulder and noting how far she'd gotten. 

There was a specific night that Lou would like to burn from her memory. It was a night Liam came with, but it was the first night Lou had in interaction with Flowers. In retrospect, it was the first night of progress, but it couldn't have gone any worse for Liam's sake. Lou was proofreading chapter sixteen for the fourth time, and adding things to it here and there. Flowers was already on stage, singing one of her originals, when Liam happened to plop down next to her from retrieving another drink. He spilled just a bit of his drink on his pants along with Lou's arm. She shied away from the splash, jumping out of her chair with a scowl. 

"Oopsie," Liam mused. Lou sighed and rolled her eyes. In another beat, Liam slammed his drink down on the table forcefully, causing it's contents to spill on the table. "Shit," Liam cursed. Lou moved quickly to pull her computer away from the impending whiskey that was making its way to it. She saved her document and closed her laptop, carefully securing it in her backpack. 

"I do believe my blossoming boy is drunk, babes," Lou teased. Liam gave her a frown and waved her away. 

"'M not drunk, Lou," Liam replied with a hiccup. "Just having a good time." 

"Well how about we take this back to the dorm. You can sleep in mine tonight," Lou suggest as she tried to pull Liam out of his chair. He tried to push her away but didn't get very far due to the amount of alcohol that pulsed through his veins. His arms moved like slow jelly trying to rid her from his body. Lou slung her backpack over her shoulder and draped Liam's around the other. They began towards the front door without another word. 

"But you wanted to watch Flowers tonight, Lou. I know you like Flowers because she's pretty and has a nice voice," he babbled. Lou laughed gently but continued to half walk, half carry Liam to the front door. She took one more glance at the stage but Flowers was already done. In the midst of trying to pick her friend up and get him home, she'd missed the end. 

Once outside, the street was quiet. It wasn't that late, but with exams happening that week, most students were in their rooms revising. Lou was thankful for exams, not that she'd ever admit to it, because it brought down the hustle and bustle of the city streets. After making it past the door, the cool breeze hit the both of them. Liam swayed under her support and almost missed his footing. Lou recovered quickly and held him up with the strength she had. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. 

Liam tumbled over when he took a step forward and his foot got caught on a lip in the concrete. Lou couldn't have saved him if she tried. So, instead of falling down with him and risk the chance of crushing her laptop, she held him until he almost hit the ground, and let him fall the rest of the way. He landed with a loud huff and laughed as soon as he registered what happened. 

"Lou, did I fall?" he asked through giggles. Lou couldn't help herself when she barked out a laugh with him, clutching her backpack. 

"Looks like you did, Liam," she replied. Liam continued to laugh while he sat up against the wall of the bar behind him. "Why the hell did I let you get so drunk?" she asked no one in particular. Liam glanced up and met her gaze with those damn puppy dog eyes. 

"Do you not want me here?" he asked sadly. Lou felt her chest tighten at his words. She reached up and pushed his fringe away from his face. He blinked at her, waiting for her answer. 

"Of course I do, babes. You're just a heavy oaf to carry home is all," Lou stated. Liam smiled a bleak smile and let his head fall against his chest. "Wanna go home or stay out here all night?" she asked. Liam's only response was a groan. Lou reached forward again and lifted his head, let it go, and watched as it dropped back down. She hung her head and sighed heavily. "Of fucking course, Payno." 

"Need help?" a voice asked from the door. Lou's neck snapped up to find none other than Flowers standing with a cigarette in her hand, smoke billowing away from it. Lou blinked and tried to form words. 

_Breathe_ , Lou,  _breathe_. 

With a look at Liam, Lou glanced back to Flowers and let out a rueful laugh. "He's passed out," she replied. Flowers smiled and took another puff of her cigarette.  _Oh my god, she has dimples._

"Figured as much," Flowers mused. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her pack of fags. She popped the top open and handed it to Lou along with a lighter. "Want one? Look like you need a smoke." 

Lou realized at that moment she was still crouching in front of Liam and her thighs were beginning to burn. She stood up and plucked a fag from the bunch and popped it into her mouth. Lou took the lighter then, lighting the end and exhaling with a grateful smile. After handing it back to Flowers, she leaned against the wall and looked down to Liam, just to be sure he was still breathing. 

"This happen often?" Flowers wondered.

Lou shook her head and took a long drag. "Only when he's stressed. Exams are taking a toll on him. Thought getting him out of the dorms would be beneficial, but I guess it wasn't such a good idea," she replied. Flowers gave a short nod and leaned against the wall with Lou. 

"You enjoy the show?" she inquired. Lou smiled around her cigarette. 

"So you noticed I was here?" Lou countered. Flowers laughed quietly. 

"Recognized you from open mic night," Flowers deadpanned. "Thought I was dreaming when you showed up the next few nights. It's nice seeing a familiar face in the crowds." 

Lou nodded and shifted her weight on her feet. "Thought I saw Zayn Malik here one night," she noted. Flowers giggled, she fucking giggled, and shook her head. 

"He only comes when he knows other blokes will be here," Flowers explained. "Otherwise, he won't show." 

"Drat, there goes that crush." Flowers gave her a questioning look. Lou smirked and gave her a wink. "Just kidding." 

Flowers let out a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, he's nice to look at isn't he?" she asked. "Definitely not my type, sadly." 

"Oh? What is your type then?" Lou questioned feeling suddenly very interested. Flowers took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled, blowing out the smoke through her nose. 

"Pretty eyes, normally longer hair. Tits are nice, too," she mumbled. Lou barked out a laugh. 

"Sounds like a perfect 'type' if you ask me. I'm pretty partial to tits myself, Flowers," Lou said. Immediately, she realized the name she'd called her. Fuck. That name was saved for her and Liam only. And now, it was out in the open. Flowers furrowed her eyebrows. Lou laughed nervously and took another drag. 

"Flowers?" she asked. Shit, Lou was really fucked. 

"It's um - the first time I - during open mic, you had a flower in your hair," Lou stammered, trying to get words out to explain herself. 

"Hmm," Flowers hummed. "I quite like it. Although, I do have a real name, if you ever get tired of Flowers," she replied. Lou sighed internally and raised an eyebrow. 

"And what is this birth name?" Lou asked. Flowers put her cigarette in her left hand and shoved out her right. 

"Harry Styles, nice to meet ya," she said with a bright smile. 

It was then that Lou caught a glimpse of how beautifully green Harry's eyes were. It was like an entire ocean of sea foam was encapsulated between whimsical flurries of eyelashes. Carefully drawn stars on a clear night were her eyes. They were bright, but muted, like a nishikigoi fish under the clear water in a pond. Flecks of blue scattered around the center, against the grain of the already natural green. A mermaid could live in her eyes, in the wave pool colored beauty.  

Realizing how long it was taking her to respond, Lou stuck her hand in Harry's and shook it with a smile. Harry's hands felt soft and supple against Lou's. The way they fit so effortlessly within hers made it hard to breathe. She noticed Harry's nails were painted a beautiful shade of yellow, muted like the colors in spring. It was a lovely contrast to the dreary nights of the impending winter. 

"Louis Tomlinson," she mumbled. Harry positively beamed with Lou's answer. "Everyone calls me Lou, though. Louis is a bit formal, innit."

Harry recoiled her hand but didn't let her smile drop. "I like Lou. It's lovely," she noted. "All my friends call me Haz," Harry added. 

Lou let the name sink in as she puffed another drag. "I like Haz. It fits you." 

Haz raised her eyebrows. "How so?" she wondered. 

"It's short and sweet, like springtime. Lovely, as you'd say," Lou explained. 

Haz nodded in understanding and threw her fag on the pavement, stomping it out with her shoe. She then glanced over at Liam. "Do you need help getting home? I'm sure Niall could come help," she offered. Lou stomped out her cigarette and sighed when she looked back down to her friend who hadn't moved during their conversation. "Maybe Zayn could pick you guys up." 

"If I could just get him into my dorm, we'd be fine," Lou said. Haz began fishing in her pockets until she found her phone, pulling it out and dialing a number. 

"I'll call the boys. They'll help," she promised. Lou nodded, really too tired to put up a fight. Instead, she mouthed  _thank you_  and moved her attention to her best friend. A few moments later, Haz was stuffing her phone in her back pocket. "They'll be here in two minutes," she said leaning down to Liam's level. At Lou's look of surprise, she continued. "Niall was staying with Zayn tonight, and Zayn lives just around the corner." 

"They're both coming?" Lou asked. Haz nodded. "To help me get Liam to my dorm?" Haz nodded again. "Just at the drop of a hat because you called?" Another nod. "Fuck me sideways," Lou mused. Haz let out a giggle and straightened out. 

"I suppose sideways is quite fun," Haz muttered quietly. Lou's eyes widened at the joke, earning a full on laugh. Lou followed suit, and soon, by the time Zayn and Niall arrived to the curb, both girls were sitting on the ground in fits of giggles. 

Zayn was the first to jump out from the driver's side. He made his way over to the two girls. "Already drunk?" he asked, looking at Haz. She shook her head and motioned towards Liam. 

"I'm not yet. However, it looks like he is," she explained. Lou nodded and stood from her place on the ground, throwing her hand out in front of Zayn. 

"Lou Tomlinson," she offered. Zayn gave her a smile. 

"Zayn Mailk. Pleasure." 

"I was supposed to be watching him," she tried. "Obviously, I didn't do my job well enough." 

Zayn chuckled softly and bent down to look at Liam. "Passed out?" he asked. Lou nodded. "We taking him to yours, then?"

"Don't feel like trying to carry him up the stairs to his flat. My room is easier to get to. Plus, I would rather I know he's throwing up in my toilet, rather than worrying about him all night," Lou rambled. Zayn nodded and reached out to grab him. Lou was at Liam's side, helping Zayn lift him from the ground. Niall was out of the car at this point, cleaning out a spot in the back for Liam. Lou craned her neck to see the backseat already held a pillow and a plastic bag. 

In a moment's notice, Liam was very much awake and looking between Lou and Zayn, and then over to Niall. Zayn gave him a quick pat on the back. Liam turned his head to Zayn and smiled fondly. 

"Zaynie, you came to save me!" he whined. "Thought you proper hated me, you git." 

"Liam, shut up. Please," Lou begged. Liam shook his head and leaned more on Zayn. 

"Lou, go fuss over Flowers while I make up with Zayn," he demanded in his drunken stupor. He then turned to Lou and winked. "We have a lot of lost time to make up for." 

Lou chanced a look at Zayn, who was now a wonderful shades of red and looking absolutely mortified. From behind them, Lou could hear Haz snickering silently. She glanced over to Zayn and mouthed an apology, and then back to Haz offering her a small smile. 

After getting Liam in the car, Zayn sat in the back with him to quiet his whining, leaving Lou to sit up front with Niall. Before leaving, though, she ran back over to Haz and leaned in for a chaste hug. 

"Thanks for doing this," Lou stated. Haz bit her bottom lip softly and smiled. 

"It's really no bother," she replied. 

"I really do appreciate it, though," Lou repeated. Haz nodded and leaned back against the wall. "I could text you and let you know when we get home?" she suggested. Haz stopped to consider the thought. Lou felt panic run through her mind and she began to backtrack. "I mean, I'll just have Niall or Zayn tell you. That was a stupid idea, I'm sorry - I'll just - I'll um go," Lou stuttered. 

Haz reached forward and wrapped her fingers around Lou's wrist, calming her movements. "You do talk some shit, don't you?" she giggled. Lou let out a breathy sigh and smiled softly. "Zayn will make sure you get home," Haz explained. She took her hand away and headed for the front door. 

Lou stood there, waiting. The girl in front of her was no longer there, and she was fleeting fast. Time was slipping and Lou was losing her chance to get her number, email, or anything for that matter. With one foot in front of the other, Lou jumped forward and found herself planted in front of Haz who wore a bemused smirk. 

"Wait, I - uh - I could just text you," Lou began. Haz was quick, holding up a hand and shaking her head. 

"Come to my next show. Then I'll know if you're alright," she stated. Lou nodded slowly and watched as the girl disappeared back into the bar. 

"Oi! Your boy's about to blow chunks and I don't want it to be in my car!" Niall yelled from the car. Lou sighed and turned on her heels, heading for the car where her friend was probably getting sick. 

The drive home was relatively quiet, Niall asking where to turn, Lou instructing him, and Liam sharing quiet words with Zayn. After a particularly racy comment from Lia, Lou glanced at Niall who was biting back a laugh. She looked in the back and caught Zayn's eye. 

"'ayn, why don't we hang out anymore? You were always my favorite," Liam whined. At this point, his words were slurring more than normal, and the words broke off, signaling a warning for tears. After years of friendship, Lou knew exactly what a drunk Liam meant. 

Zayn didn't miss a beat. He shushed the boy and went to pat his head which was laying in his lap. "You wanted this, remember, babes?" Zayn replied. Liam seemed to consider the answer. 

"I didn't want you to hate me," Liam mumbled. Zayn chuckled and placed his hand on Liam's cheek, rubbing his thumb over his cheekbone. 

"You know I'd never hate you, Liam."

"But you -"

"Hush, Liam. Go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning," Zayn begged. "If you even remember this conversation." Zayn lifted his eyes and smiled at Lou. 

Lou shook her head and shifted in her seat. "Trust me, I'm never letting him live this down," she spoke. Zayn nodded, and even Niall giggled softly. 

The car was silent after that. Niall successfully made it to Lou's dorm after a bit. Both boys helped Lou get Liam into her room and get him comfortable on her bed. Thankfully, Liam had only thrown up once on the ride, and again outside the dorm complex. Once he was passed out once again, Zayn set up a trash bin beside the bed, along with a towel under his head and under the bin. While Zayn did that, Niall cleaned his shoes in the bathroom from the escapade outside. 

"Think he's all good," Zayn commented when he finished with Liam. Lou nodded. Zayn scrambled in his pockets before fishing out his phone and handing it over to Lou. "Will you text me tomorrow? Let me know if he's alive and whatnot," Zayn asked. Lou took his phone and punched in her number, sending a quick text to herself to save his number once they left. 

"If he doesn't remember tonight, I won't say anything if you don't want me to," Lou promised. Zayn scrubbed the side of his face and then let his hand fall down the back of his neck. 

"It's not that," Zayn interrupted. "Guessing he didn't tell you anything?" Zayn wondered. Lou shook her head and sat down on the edge of her bed. Zayn sat down next to her and sighed. "It didn't end well, on my part I mean. I guess we just got carried away and didn't really know how to pick up the pieces after everything fell apart. I don't hate him or anything," Zayn explained. "Just tell him to call me when he wakes up, yeah?" 

Lou nodded and watched as Zayn made his way to the door to her room. He stopped to knock on the bathroom door. Niall emerged seconds later with a grimace and a scowl. Lou gave him an apologetic grin. 

"Sorry about you're shoes," she mumbled. Niall sighed and shrugged. 

"Not the first time, probably won't be the last," he mused. Zayn shoved his shoulder. "Zayn, here, about coughed up a lung last time we went out. Had to bleach the stains out of my car for two weeks afterward." Zayn glared at him, which only added to the laughing fire. "Next time, warn us to bring towels or something. I'm sure Zayn wouldn't mind seeing him again." 

"You're a tit, you know that," Zayn growled. He turned to Lou and gave her a small smile before he was out the door. 

"Thanks again," Lou told Niall. He nodded and leaned in for a hug. 

"Not a problem, darling. Just remember to warn us next time." Niall began walking towards the door before he stopped and motioned to Liam. "Tell him, yeah? I'm tired of seeing Zayn mope around," he added. "They'd be good together." 

With that, Niall was bounding down the hallway, leaving Lou alone with the boy in question. After getting ready for bed, turning off all the lights, and making Liam drink an entire glass of water, she climbed under the sheets behind him and snuggled against his back.

"You're telling me everything tomorrow morning, you twat," Lou teased. Liam's only answer was a groan as he rolled over to cuddle against Lou's chest. He smiled contently and hummed. "Go to sleep pup," she whispered and placed a small kiss against Liam's forehead. 

Before she fell asleep, she thought about Haz, the flower child. At that moment, she was content with the way her story was making it's way and her conversation with Haz. The beautiful, mysterious flower child in the midst of a rainstorm. She wanted to know everything about this girl. Her favorite color, the things she holds closest to her heart, the most important things to her. Lou ached for knowledge. She ached for the knowledge that only one curly headed girl could give her. 

And Lou would attend every single set Haz performed. 

Every single one. 

She was going to learn everything she could about her lovely, lovely flower child. 


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sunset story I have included is a personal story and 100% mine. It is an old story that's been passed through generations in my family. Please credit me or my account if you decide to take the story idea. As always, please enjoy the chapter and thank you so much for the lovely comments and support. 
> 
> Chapter two is ready! 
> 
> Enjoy!! 
> 
> K

At the shrill sound of her alarm, Harry groaned and climbed out of her bed and padded over to her bathroom, wiping the sleep away from her eyes. Commotion sounded from the kitchen, along with a very high pitched squeal, causing a smile to creep upon her face as she started up the shower. Harry climbed into the stall to wash away the grime from the night before.

Bar nights were a usual, depending on what Harry's schedule permitted. She'd play most weekends when she could, which helped pay the bills. Bless Niall and Zayn for helping when they were available. On a successful week, Harry would have three shifts at the diner, play both Saturday and Sunday, and still have enough time to finish the piles of homework and spend time with her favorite little person. 

After a shower, brushing of teeth, and some fresh clothes, Harry ventured downstairs to find Zayn standing in front of the island with flour coating a good portion of his hair, as well as his cheek. When he caught Harry's gaze, he smiled and sighed in relief. Before she could walk any further, a bundle of curly hair and iridescent blue eyes came bounding towards her and latched on to her leg. 

"Good morning, sunshine," Haz laughed and picked up the small being beneath her. Zayn laughed from his place in the kitchen. "Have you woken Zee up for pancakes?" she asked. 

"He promised me, momma," she replied in her sweet, sugary voice. 

"Well, then I guess if Zee promised," Harry spoke. "Morning, Zee," she added and put down the five year old. "You're getting soft on us, mate." Zayn chuckled softly and flipped a pancake in the frying plan and moved a plate of stacks already made over to the dining room table. 

"Ophelia told me she's been practicing in class. Told me she's number two in hip hop," Zayn explained. "I couldn't let it go unnoticed that I, as a front runner in the hip hop class, am very proud of her." 

The thing Harry loved most about Zayn was the undying love he had for Harry's little girl. He was there every step of the way, whether it be on his own accord, or by the grace of god. Zayn was one of the only steady things in Harry's life, and if Harry had any say in the matter, he wouldn't be leaving. 

Harry beamed brightly at her daughter and pulled her into a stool at the island, placing a kiss on top of her curls. "Did you also tell Zee that you'll be moving up a class in January?" Harry asked. Ophelia smiled and nodded her head. 

"I told him about hip hop and ballet. They think I'm good enough to train with Alana!" Ophelia exclaimed. 

Harry grabbed a plate from the cabinet and set two pancakes on it. She then got a small basket of raspberries and dumped a few on the side. After pouring a bit of syrup on top, she placed the plate in front of Ophelia, who dug in with her fork. 

"Zayn, did Niall tell you he was watching her this afternoon?" Harry asked. Zayn turned off the stove after he finished another three pancakes, put them on the table, and took a sip of his coffee. "Ophelia Grace, use your fork like a big girl," she noted watching Ophelia stuff a piece of cake into her mouth with her hand. 

"He mentioned it. Honestly, I don't mind watching her this morning. I've got some homework to finish, but other than that I can watch her here," Zayn offered. Harry shook her head and made herself a cup of coffee. 

"I don't mind taking her on my errands. I've got to run to the shops and pick up her medicine and get some groceries," Harry explained. "How she has symptoms right now is beyond me, Zayn." She took a gulp of her coffee and popped a raspberry in her mouth. "I could always drop her off before I go to class." 

Zayn shook his head. "I'll watch her, Haz. I have one quiz to finish and I'm done for the day. Let me watch her," he begged. He leaned on the counter top and put his face in his hands, batting his eyelashes. The little bastard even stuck his bottom lip out. Harry groaned and leaned across the counter, swatting at Zayn's hands. 

"What time did she wake up?" Harry wondered. Ophelia looked up from her plate and made grabby hands for her juice. Harry slid her cup within reach and smiled as her daughter caught grip of it to bring it to her lips. 

"A little after six," Zayn stated. Harry nodded and took Ophelia's finished plate, popping a left over piece of cake in her mouth and putting the plate in the sink. "I think she's getting back to her school schedule." 

Harry ran a flannel under the water and began to wipe Ophelia's mouth while she squirmed. "Philly, go grab your dance bag for me, yeah?" Harry asked. Ophelia nodded and hopped off the stool, running to her room. Harry turned back to Zayn, who was already cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. She climbed Ophelia's stool and grinned at the boy. 

"Quit ogling at me, Haz. Your face will get stuck," Zayn commented, not bothering to look over his shoulder while he washed. "Don't ask me anything, and I won't ask you," he added. 

Harry laughed and sipped at her coffee. "I have no idea what you're talking about, love. I just thought it was interesting that you ended up taking care of a Mr. Liam Payne last night," she noted. Harry chuckled softly over the rim of her cup. "Don't you find that just a tad bit interesting, Zee?" 

Zayn turned on his heels and flung a spoon at Harry with a laugh. "Harry if you don't -"

"It's riveting to know that even in this huge city, you still see those you wished you didn't," Harry stated loudly. Zayn tossed the wet flannel he was using at Harry this time, which she dodged and laughed as it hit the floor with a squelch. 

"I said shut up!" Zayn hollered. Harry laughed out loud. 

"Zee said a bad word!" Ophelia squealed, running out of her room with her rucksack slung over her small shoulder. "Momma! Zee said a bad word! He has to put money in the jar!" she beamed. 

"It looks like he did, Philly. Go get Zee's money and put it in the jar," Harry instructed. Ophelia giggled and ran for Zayn, holding out her hand. Zayn complied without fuss, handing her a note. She took it and ran for the jar Harry kept on the living room table. Harry grinned as her daughter put the note into the jar. "Come on, love, I'm going to have to leave soon, and I want to look over your reviews for class." 

Ophelia made her way over to Harry in three quick strides. She handed her bag over to Harry, who sifted through it to find a folder. Once she pulled it out, she found the piece of paper she was looking for and read over it while Zayn continued to clean. Ophelia found herself sitting on the floor and looking over a spot in her night gown. 

"Zee, who's Liam?" Ophelia wondered. Harry choked on her coffee while Zayn dropped a pan very loudly in the sink. Harry bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing. 

"Liam is a friend of Zee's, love," Harry explained. Ophelia pursed her lips to consider the answer. She thought about it for a moment, Harry and Zayn exchanging a glance. She then ran off to her room and came back carrying a fake flower. Harry had a double take, but couldn't remember when she'd gotten the flower to begin with. Ophelia walked up to Zayn and handed the flower over to him. 

"There's a boy in my class who gave me this, but I like him more than a friend," Ophelia explained, earning a shocked noise from Harry, though she would never admit to doing it. She set down her coffee cup and focused her attention on her daughter. Ophelia continued, "If Liam's a friend that you want, like the friend I have, give this flower to him. It'll make him happy, and he'll probably fall in love with you -"

"Alright! Enough of all that!" Harry cried. She packed up Ophelia's things in her dance bag and left Zayn to pick up the rest of the kitchen. Harry hauled her daughter over her shoulder and sat her down in the living room. After turning on her favorite cartoon channel, Harry left Ophelia to watch while she got herself ready. In the end, after dressing herself in printed leggings and a black tee, she kissed the top of Ophelia's head and waved a goodbye to Zayn. 

The weather outside was beginning to grow colder and colder by the week. In late September, the winds were starting to pick up, leaving any uncovered nose a victim. Harry bundled her scarf around the tip of her face to shield it from the wind as she walked from her car to the Asda front doors. Once inside, a rush of warm air hit her, and forced her hair away from her face. 

The store was bustling around, even for it being early in the morning. Harry grabbed a trolley and set her purse down in the front where she could keep track of it. Before heading anywhere else, she pulled a list and a pen from her bag and set off towards the breakfast isle. 

Shopping breakfast for two college students was easy. You find the cheapest thing you can get in bulk, and throw it in the trolley. Add a five year old to the mix, and you end up having to buy the healthy foods that you know will last, like pancake batter, eggs, and fruits. So, Harry does the best she can with the budget she's given: she gets the bulk of what she can for Ophelia, and buys the cheap shit for herself and Zayn. 

Lunch is a completely different story. For Harry and Zayn, they could survive on ramen noodles, pastry cakes, and whatever snacks they could find available. Yet again, providing for a five year old meant buying sandwich meat, bread, milk and juice, fruits and veggies, and yogurt or pastry for dessert. University students knew how to suffice with what they had. Ophelia needed her food groups, which Harry spent hours looking over meticulously to fit in her budget, and without that, she wouldn't be getting her daily nutrients. Harry would never admit to sobbing on her bathroom floor one evening because her performance gig didn't pay enough to buy Ophelia her favorite fruit snack, and ended up getting stroppy in Asda when Harry told her no. She also wouldn't admit to smoking half a pack of cigarettes that night either, while she searched online how much it would pay if she donated some of her eggs. 

Dinner for the household was one of Harry's favorite things to do. She'd make her lists short and sweet, just to pay more attention to dinner and snacks afterward. On a good week, the three of them would sit at the dining room table with a full spread of whatever Harry or Zayn had chosen. Some nights, Harry would cook up a recipe for pasta, with garlic bread and salad for herself and Zayn. Other nights she'd go all out for a bigger meal. Her latest achievement was cooking a roast, complete with homemade mash, greens for vegetables, and some chicken nuggets just in case Ophelia was feeling fussy. 

It wasn't to say Zayn didn't help out as well. Harry made sure to remind any and everyone that asked about her living situation that Zayn was just as involved as she was. It was an infuriating thing at first, constantly worrying over bills and pay dates, school fees, grocery shopping, and the occasional doctor's visit for Ophelia. After six months, things finally started falling into place. Zayn picked up a teaching gig at Philly's dance studio, teaching the hip-hop classes, along with extra shifts at an art studio downtown. His income was more than enough to support himself, but with Harry and Ophelia, it was just the help everyone needed. Harry landed the gig at the bar, picked up shifts at the diner, and suddenly, things were getting better. They had enough to pay rent each month, some dived out for petrol, a portion for groceries, and a savings fund to cover unexpected bills when needed. After a two years, they'd finally gotten it right; the money, the living arrangements, Ophelia. 

Once Harry was finished with her shopping, along with stopping for Ophelia's medicine, she maneuvered her trolley to the front to check out. As she placed items on the conveyor belt, Harry checked off on her list, making sure everything was accounted for. Each item checked off and she was set. Harry made her way to the till to pay and handed over her debit card. She watched as the man slid the card and handed it back off with a smile. A feeling of relief washed over Harry as she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She loaded her bags in the trolley once more and walked out of the store to her car. With the groceries put in the boot, Harry pulled away from Asdas and set her sights on a bookstore a few blocks down. She grinned to herself. 

 

Back at home, Harry barged through the door with bulging bags of goods. Zayn met her half way to help, and even gave Ophelia a few bags to carry herself. 

"Jesus, Haz, did you go overboard this time?" Zayn asked in awe of the goods. Harry grinned and shrugged her left shoulder. 

"The bar payed me a little extra the other night, and I've been saving up for a bit. Wanted to have a big dinner this week and I even got you a little something," Harry replied and reached for a bag she'd been keeping in her purse. Zayn raised his eyebrows with a wide smile and held out his hands. "Nope, close your eyes, duckling," she demanded. Zayn rolled his eyes and did as he was told, clamping them shut. 

Harry pulled the gift out of the bag and placed it gingerly in his hands. Zayn waited for his approval, a gentle touch from Harry, and his eyes snapped open, his jaw going lax. "Oh my god, Harry," he whimpered. He flipped over the item in his hands. 

A few years ago, when Harry and Zayn were making the trek across London to find a flat big enough for the three of them, they wondered into a worn down bookstore called Battered Bindings, which certainly fit the look of it. The bookshelves were chipping off and a leak could be heard from the attic of the building. Originally, Harry dragged him through the doors and demanded he humored her as she looked for a children's book for her daughter. Zayn indulged, because he couldn't help but always indulge Harry, and found himself roaming the isles. Harry found him on the floor of a certain isle sprawled out like a child, book in hand, and a very content/determined look on his face as he flipped through the pages. 

The book Zayn had found was called  _HR Giger_  by Taschen. A book, Harry would come to find, disturbing and unnerving. It was a beautiful work, creating something that tugs at the fears and instincts of a human mind.  _Glorious_ , Zayn described it later when they left.  It was an art book placed on the shelf with a hefty price tag. Zayn flipped through the pages with intent, running his fingers along each picture, tracing the shading. Harry almost thought she saw him bit back a tear as he looked on. 

Through the years, the book, even with it's intensity and popularity among artists, price tag had decreased. Harry frequented the store when she could, searching for it along the shelves, praying that it would still be there. Lo and behold, when she stepped into the shop on her mission, the book keeper was waiting for her, book in hand. "I knew you'd be by today. I don't know how, but I just knew. And this book is finally in your price range," the elderly woman mused. Harry crossed the store and hugged the woman where she stood, muttering thank yous a thousand times over. 

"I knew how much you loved it, silly," Harry said. Zayn looked up at her with watery eyes and lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her neck and silently crying into her windblown hair. Harry let her arms tighten around his waist as they rocked and cried. When Zayn finally pulled away, he wiped his eyes and gave her a loud smack of a kiss on her cheek. He ran to his room when Ophelia came bounding towards him with grabby hands and hid his book away. Harry and Ophelia finished putting the groceries away before a quick cook up of a lunch, and Harry was out the door again. 

One thing that Harry loved most about attending uni, was the simple fact that she could choose what she did and did not study. For instance, she was never a fan of geography in school, so she didn't take it in Uni. Instead, she picked English and music theory classes to take. Her music classes were going just fine and her writing was advancing with every passing day. Harry's English classes were something of the devil's work. She loved them, she really did. She loved learning about the authors in their history and why they wrote the way they did. It was a beautiful thing, writing. Harry felt like sometimes she could tap into other authors within her songs, and well.... that made for some interesting lyrics. Beautiful, but interesting. 

God bless her professor, Mrs. Rhodes. She was a middle aged woman with gray hair in her roots, long black eyelashes, and a snappy attitude. With Harry, though, she was as sweet as could be.

This day... this day was different. The aroma in class was stuffy, and there was a prominent attitude that lingered with the citrus smell from the previous night's cleaning. Harry sat in her usual chair near the front of the classroom and began to pull out her books and notes. Mrs. Rhodes was already at her desk writing on a sheet of paper with an unsteady hand. 

Harry eyed the professor but said nothing, too worried about taking Ophelia to her check up in three days. Who could blame her? Flu symptoms when flu season hasn't even begun? Yeah, Harry was ready to have a coronary. She pulled out her pen and wrote down a short to-do list on her paper, reminding herself to talk to Niall about Ophelia's health, call Zayn to pick up extra biscuits on his way home from work, and talk to Ophelia's headmasters in regards to other children getting sick. 

Class was normal that day. It was difficult, more so because they'd just begun talking about  _Robinson Crusoe._ It wasn't an awful book, really, Harry actually liked it to some degree. It was just a bit more than she'd bargained for, especially with the incessant chattering going on behind her. She couldn't see who was making the noise, nor did she have the mental patience to turn around and calmly ask her to quiet down. In moments of weakness, Harry found her 'mother' voice approaching quickly, even if she's not speaking to her daughter. In that particular moment, Harry wanted nothing more than to turn around and send the noisy student to time out with a stern warning. But alas, dignity, right?

"Right!" Mrs. Rhodes roared, silencing the chattering. She glared to students behind Harry with a disappointed look. "Since we're not focusing on our assignments as of late, I have decided to take matters into my own hands." A collective groan sounded through the classroom. "Oh, don't make that noise with me. I could just as easily drop you." 

"Christ help me," Harry mumbled. Mrs. Rhodes walked to the front of her desk and perched on the edge. 

"Because you've taken an interest in talking so much, I'm going to give you something to talk about. You're each going to think of an answer to a question I'm about to ask. I want you all to think very long and hard about this. Soul search, if you have to, I don't care. Here is my question: excluding friends and family, what is one thing you hold most dear to your heart and why?" she asked the classroom. 

Silence. 

Harry looked down at her notes as she tried to think. Her daughter was the first thing that popped into her head at first, but seeing as family is excluded, she couldn't say that. She couldn't include Zayn or Niall because of the friends aspect, and she damn sure wouldn't say anything that had to do with her past. With Niall or otherwise. As the silence in the room grew louder, it hit her. Harry raised her hand softly, still staring her notes down like they provided every answer in the book. 

"Yes, dear, let's here what you have to say," Mrs. Rhodes smiled at her. Harry swallowed thickly and took a deep breath to steady herself. 

"A sunset," she muttered. Mrs. Rhodes stepped closer. 

"What? Speak up, love. I know you use that singing voice," her professor chided. Harry sighed and lifted her head to meet Mrs. Rhodes's gaze. 

"A sunset," she spoke clearly. "When I was younger, my mum used to tell me stories of mighty warriors following the sunset back home to their loved ones. She said the clouds that surrounded the skies in blues and purples were those of fallen soldiers, returning home but only in spirit. When skies were clear, it meant each soldier was coming home the next day. It was a thing with her and I, sunsets. We'd get our biscuits and lounge outside while it set." Harry paused to take a steadying breath again. "I guess it resembles hope, in a way. The sun is this magnificent being, forced with fire and rooted in a life of serenity, but even he has to sleep. So," she cleared her throat, "he goes to rest, setting the beauty of his creation. Shades of orange and purple, blues here and there. They all represent the bigger picture." 

"What is that bigger picture for you?" Mrs. Rhodes wondered aloud. Harry grinned. 

"That when life expects you to carry on with a creation of great multitude, you must relent the rocks on your shoulders, and sleep. Tomorrow will come and you will regain your strength within the sunrise. It's a story more about hope and self acceptance, maybe?" Harry guessed. "It's just a really nice story." 

And cue the silence. 

"Heaven above," Mrs. Rhodes whimpered. Harry ducked her head and tried to hide her face as it turned four shades of red. She gave Harry a loving smile and turned to the rest of the class. "Anyone else have something to share?" she asked. 

A voice spoke behind Harry, "How are we supposed to top that, Mrs. Rhodes? Honestly, it's like being compared to Hemingway, Twain, and Jane Austen. How do we compete?" 

Well shit. 

Harry didn't dare turn around. She knew that voice, and she could hear it from miles away. The girl she met the previous. There she was. Causing havoc in her English class, and comparing her to Austen. That high pitched voice, silky and gentle, mischievous even. Yes, that voice belonged to none other, than a short little Lou. 

"I think we could learn a little from Harry here," Mrs. Rhodes chided, breaking Harry away from her thoughts. A quick gasp was heard from somewhere in the room. 

It was then Harry decided to turn around. She was met with those blue eyes from the night before, wide and shocked. Harry mentally groaned and turned her head back to her notes. 

"I guess there won't be any more comments. You're free to go," Mrs. Rhodes sighed heavily. Harry packed up her things quickly before anyone could catch up to her. Anyone being Lou. She stuffed her supplies in her bag and bolted for the door of the classroom. Once she was free, she took a detour from her normal route to her car, and forced herself to grab a coffee and relax. 

After Harry ordered, she pulled out her phone and opened a text message to Zayn. 

_the girl from last night is in my class_

Zayn replied a few moments later. 

**the girl with liam? thought she would have graduated by now**

Harry smirked to herself and typed back a quick message. 

_guess not. shes here to ruin me. called me out in front of class today_

The barista called for Harry's name and handed over her cup. Harry thanked the young lady and walked towards the parking lot. Her phone buzzed again, Zayn responding. 

**need me to do anything?**

Harry took a sip of her coffee and scoffed out loud to herself. 

_niall has ophelia tonight. buy the biggest bottle of tequila you can find xx_

_and biscuits! x_

Harry climbed into her car and took five minutes to calm herself down. Music, music always helps. She turned on her car and turned her phone's music on in the speakers. Her favorite song came on first, thank the heavens. The music blared through the car, drowning out Harry's heart trying to thump right out of her chest. She finished off the rest of her coffee and took another heavy breath before begrudgingly getting back out of her car, pulling her guitar out of the boot, and heading off to one of her music classes.

_Just a few more hours_ , she thought.  

*

"So, I'm trying to tell Mrs. Rhodes about my sunset story, and this girl behind me, the short one, Lou is her name. This girl has been chattering the entire fucking time about who knows what. I finish my story, and suddenly, its like she has to just call me out in front of everyone! Everyone, Zayn!" Harry complained as she took another bite of her dinner. 

After Harry was finished with her classes for the day, she called Zayn to plan for dinner. Unknowingly, he had already bought dinner and had it waiting for her at their flat, along with a bottle of liquor. He'd dropped Ophelia off with Niall, so he was free for the day. Harry almost cried when she got home and found a full spread of fish and chips sitting on the table. 

"I thought she compared you to Hemingway and Austen?" Zayn questioned. He sipped on his drink and waited for Harry to continue. 

"Schematics, Zayn, schematics," Harry stated with a wave of her hand. "It doesn't change the fact that she did it anyway. I don't care what context it may have been in. Do you think she's mad I wouldn't give her my number? I bet that's it. She's stroppy because I didn't want to give her my number. Well guess what, sweetheart -"

"You should really breathe in between monologues, Hazza," Zayn chirped. Harry glared at him and threw a chip in his face. 

"I'm not going to just give my number out to some random girl that shows interest in me, Zayn. Not with Ophelia." 

Zayn nodded and swallowed. "You don't want them to flake?" Harry shook her head no and took another bite. 

"I don't think it's the flaking part that I'm worried about," she replied. "Everything with Ophelia is rocky as is, and to find someone who's willing to put up with it all. I'm not saying she's a burden. God knows I love my daughter more than anything, but for someone on the outside who has no preconceived notion about being a single parent, it gets tough." 

"I get where you're coming from, love. Do you think it was easy when I found out?" Zayn laughed. Harry giggled from her place on the couch and groaned. 

"Christ, I thought you were going to murder me," Harry teased. "Did you know Niall's brother made him go to confession?" Zayn's eyes widened as he barked out a laugh. 

"Are you joking?" 

"Not in the slightest. He texted me after the fourth time and begged me to take him out for pints. Watched him get plastered and cry the entire night," Harry explained. Zayn giggled at the thought of the boy slumped over in tears because he got himself in the mess he found himself in. 

"I figured your family was bad," Zayn mused. "Didn't realize Niall had it even worse. I remember when he saw me for the first time after he knew you told me. The look on his face, Haz, it was priceless." 

Harry popped a chip into her mouth and smiled. "You want to talk priceless, Zayn?" Harry began. She sat up a little straighter and leaned her forearms on her knees. "Picture this: our blossoming boy, fresh out of school, on the brink of making a career for himself in the orchestra world." 

"Oh, this is going to be good isn't it?" Zayn whispered in awe. Harry smirked and nodded. 

"So, that entire day, I was kicking myself. Three sticks and a blood test from the clinic, I was shitting bricks, Zayn. I told him to come to my parents' home because mum and dad were gone. Even my brother was out with his new girlfriend. He shows up after an hour, probably high, knowing him." Zayn laughed aloud. "I sit him down, he's terrified, has this look in his eyes that's literally pure terror. The tests and the paperwork was in this box. Zayn, when I tell you he mentally glitched out for five minutes.... it was like he'd seen a ghost." 

Zayn was laughing at that point, barking out squawks of laughs that sent Harry into a fit of giggles. "Oh my god," Zayn drawled, wiping the edge of his eye. 

"Thought he might have had a stroke," Harry giggled. 

Truth be told, the entire ordeal had been utterly exhausting. Harry found out she was pregnant, yes, and the father of her child was none other than her best mate, Mr. Niall Horan. 

It happened after Niall played his first show with the London Symphony, and everyone was buzzing on a high. After the concert, there was an after party to mingle with musicians. The conductor was a lovely man, and the concertmaster was even better. Harry spoke with them for a while about Niall, his blooming career a favorite to discuss. She and the concertmaster became well accustomed with each other by the end of the party. 

Niall stole Harry and Zayn to head out for pints. They spent a few hours at a pub in downtown London and drank their weight in alcohol. Zayn was the first to leave, begging for his bed. Niall and Harry were left alone from there. It wasn't unheard of, the two of them being alone together. After the pub shut down for the night, Harry told Niall he could crash at hers. 

So they walked, arms hooped together like an old married couple, as they made their way over to her studio flat. They giggled like teenagers finding alcohol in their parents' homes. It was easy with Niall. Harry could be who she was, without judgement nor fear of resentment. She could laugh her bark of a laugh, complain about her life, and even gossip about her crushes. Niall was her best mate, and he loved her without question. 

Once they arrived at her flat, they stumbled through the front door, still in fits of giggles, and struggled to take their coats off. January winds were horrific and Harry was finding taking off the scarf she wrapped around her neck harder to take off than she originally thought. Niall dropped his coat to the floor and kicked off his boots without falling over when he noticed Harry having problems. 

Niall chuckled and reached forward to tug Harry's scarf away from her neck, dropping to the floor. "A right mess, without me, Haz," he teased. Harry looked up at him through her lashes, frozen from the wind. Niall lifted his hands to rest on either side of her face, his thumbs stroking  Harry's cheekbone. "Jesus," he mumbled. Harry smiled. 

"Do you want to stay?" Harry asked quietly, leaning forward slightly to press her chest against Niall's. He nodded his head violently and wrapped his hands around the back of her neck. "Let's go..... to the um - "

"Yeah," Niall said breathlessly. A quick kiss was the spark to ignite the fire. 

Harry noticed the lack of her period after four weeks. At first, she blamed it on stress. Working forty plus hours a week at the office job she landed, and having to worry about impending university, her mind was somewhere else completely. She blamed it on stress until four weeks became six, and six became ten. At that point, she was already showing symptoms of pregnancy. Vomiting and nausea, headaches, and fatigue. It wasn't anything Harry couldn't handle, but it did make going to work harder. 

Breaking down and buying pee sticks from Sainsburys was easy. It was having to see a small, pink plus sign come to life on each test, each morning she took them that made it hard. At the free clinic, the doctor came back with a grim smile on his face and Harry knew the answer to her question. The blood work came back positive, and that was that. 

The next day, Harry called Niall after he got out of rehearsal. She mentioned that she needed to talk with him. Thankfully, Harry's family was out of the house for the afternoon, which meant she had hours to break the news to the boy. 

An hour after the call, Niall arrived at Harry's with red eyes and a disheveled look about him. Harry ushered him in and led the both of them to her old bedroom without saying a single word. Niall followed helplessly behind her, his breathing picking up with every step. 

Harry opened the door and motioned for Niall to sit while she pulled a box out of her purse. She held it between her hands and bit down on her bottom lip, willing the tears to remain at bay. 

"Hazza, you're scaring me," Niall muttered from his place across the room. Harry looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Fuck, Harry, what the fuck happened?" he demanded. 

Harry made her way over to him and handed over the box. Niall took it with shaky hands. Opening it, his entire body froze. Harry let out a whimper and fell to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Niall took out the first stick from the box and set it outside, doing that with each one. 

"Niall -" Harry croaked. Niall snapped his head down to her just as a tear streamed down his face. 

"There's no way," he whined. Harry wiped her eyes and nodded slowly. "Haz, please tell me you're lying," Niall begged. Harry let out a broken sob and shook her head. 

"The night of your first performance, Niall. We went out and we -"

"The one fucking time we have sex.... Fucking Christ," Niall breathed, his shoulders beginning to shake. "How far?" he wondered. Harry sniffled and shrugged. 

"I just got the blood work back yesterday," she cried. "I can show you if you want." 

"You're pregnant." 

Harry let out a broken laugh mixed with a cry. "We've established this," Harry stated. 

"With my baby?" 

"Yes, Niall," she replied. 

"What do we do now?" he wondered. Harry stared at him. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Do you want to keep it?" Harry held her breath. Niall continued, "I get it if you don't want to, but I just - it's my baby too, and I think we could make it even if we aren't together. That night, Harry, I can't do that again. You're my best mate and I don't want to lose our friendship, see, and I really do believe we could raise the baby and -"

"Fucking hell, Niall, shut the fuck up for one second!" Harry barked. She sighed and stood from the ground, sitting beside Niall. She leaned her head  on his shoulder and wiped her face. "I'm not terminating this pregnancy, if that's what you're worried about. I don't know how we are going to do this, but if you believe we can, then I trust you. I don't care about us being together. It was never meant for us anyway. You're meant to marry some model once you make it big. " 

Niall took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "You know I'd never leave right? Just skip out and make you fend for yourself." 

"I know that. There's one thing we need to do as soon as possible, though," Harry chuckled. 

"What's that?" 

"We have to tell Zayn." 

 

Harry calmed her laughing to take a long pull from her drink. Zayn was calming down at that point as well when he cleared his throat. "I talked to Liam today," he said quietly. 

"Really?" Harry questioned with raised brows. "How did that one go?" 

Zayn sighed and shrugged. "Lou texted me this morning-"

"Sorry, who texted you?" 

"Lou, now hush, I'm not done," Zayn scolded. Harry scoffed but kept her mouth shut so he could continue. "She told me he was awake and whining about everything. Gave me his number, so, I sent him a message asking to see him. We met this afternoon after I dropped Ophelia off. He was shaking." 

"Well? What happened? Give me all the details!" Harry demanded. Zayn grinned and tossed a crumb her way. "Oi, stop it." 

"There's really not much else to tell besides the obvious answers. He apologized for last night over ten times. I don't know what it was with him, but he just seemed off. Like, when we used to see each other, he'd get this nervous shake going on in his hands if something was wrong. His eyes would glass over and look cloudy. That's how he looked today," Zayn stated. 

"Do you think it's just because he was scared?" Harry asked. 

Zayn shook his head. "The last time we saw each other, I was punching him in the face and telling him to fuck off. I'd be worried if he wasn't scared honestly." 

"Jesus Christ, Zayn, you punched him?" Harry questioned. 

"Yes, now getting on," he said and rolled his eyes. "I told him everything was fine, I wasn't upset about anything, though Niall was probably a little irritated because of the shoe thing, but he could always buy another pair." 

"What shoe thing?" Harry wondered. 

"Liam puked on Niall's shoes," he explained. 

"You never tell me anything anymore, and its becoming a problem," Harry complained. Zayn shrugged. 

"You'll get over it after some tequila. Anyway, it was really touch and go with him for a bit. He'd respond, not respond, look off into the distance like he was waiting for his lover to come home," he stated. "I just want to get back to a place with him, ya know?" 

Harry nodded with knowing eyes. "After Ophelia was born, Niall and I got to a point where we could stand to be around each other. With doctor bills, hospital bills, check ups, diapers and formula, it all just drug us down into a bit. We would fight over the most ridiculous things sometimes," Harry chuckled and shook her head. "I was afraid we'd never get back to us." She paused to find Zayn staring at his lap with his phone between his hands. "You miss him don't you?" 

Zayn looked up with sad eyes. "I feel like shit. Fuck, I should have never punched him." 

"Why did you punch him in the first place? You never mentioned that little detail," Harry chided. 

"He brought up the situation with my mom and I kind of lost it from there," Zayn replied. Harry let her jaw lax and she knew exactly what happened. 

"Gotcha," Harry said lowly. "I'm sorry." 

"Its not your fault, love. Just me and my fucked up family," Zayn grumbled. "Besides, he didn't exactly what happened. Can't really blame him." 

"Would you have told him?" she asked. "After you punched him, I mean." 

Zayn considered the question and took another bite of his food. With a thick swallow, he looked back at Harry. "If he'd stayed, probably. He ran pretty quickly before I could say anything." 

"Do you think you could tell him now?" Harry wondered. 

"He'd never agree to talk to me again. Today was just a fluke, Hazza." 

"You never know until you try," she replied. "I know you miss him. It won't hurt to try, love. Text him and ask. If he tells you he doesn't want to see you, well, at least you can say you tried." 

Zayn nodded gently and pulled his phone out to type a message. Once he finished, he shoved it away quickly and picked up his food to take it to the kitchen. Harry watched fondly. 

Harry ran to her room quickly and wrote down a quick overview of her to-do list from before in class. She went back to the living room and began picking up the mess. After the two cleaned up their dinner, Harry popped open the bottle of  tequila. She didn't drink very often anymore because of Ophelia, but with her being gone, she could have one night to herself. Three shots to start out for the both of them, and the worries of the day were slipping through her finger tips. 

_Tomorrow_ , she promised herself at midnight as she lay on the living room carpet with an empty bottle between herself and Zayn. Tomorrow, she'd deal with her worries. 


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Surprise couple right? The story itself won't be very long at all, so it's about to pick up here soon. This chapter will be the starting point of everything taking off. A lot of dialogue happens here, so be wary of that. If anyone has any questions, feel free to comment or find me on tumblr as alwaysandforeverlou. As always, Have fun, darlings! 
> 
> K

Lou tossed and turned the entire night. She had this feeling of regret for what she said in her English class towards Harry, but she also felt more than content with her response. You see, what she said in class was true. Harry's story... it was beautiful and poetic and wonderful, and all the other words she couldn't remember. While Lou could have just kept her mouth closed, she chose to point out how incredible Harry was. Her mind and the way it worked. But instead of the expected outcome, Harry finding the comment as a compliment, she completely shut down. She ran out the door before Lou could get a chance to explain herself. 

When she told Liam about the ordeal, he acted like the devil's advocate. He understood where Lou was coming from when she said what she said. Liam also explained that Harry might have been embarrassed because, 'she told an entire class her childhood story and you went and called her out for it'. Lou didn't even talk during class normally. She was studious, trying to make the best grades she could manage. Liam not only scolded her for the comment, but also for talking during the time. By the end of the conversation with Liam, Lou felt like shit. 

Really, Lou didn't blame Liam for the things he said. He was trying to be a good friend and look out for her and her well being. Liam knew what kind of person Lou was, and in turn, knew exactly what she would and wouldn't do on normal days. Lou couldn't fault him, not when he was right in every sense of the word. He was innocent in the day's events, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. 

After her class, Lou went after Harry. She tried to keep up with the girl, but Lou's short legs made that a little difficult in a crowded area. If she was on the pitch, it might have been different. But being surrounded by the masses of students, she couldn't move around. Lou watched as the mess of curls disappeared down the corridor and through the front gates. She knew she wouldn't be able to catch up to Harry even if she ran, so instead, she fell back with the students and left the building when she was able to. 

Lou arrived back to her dorm room after her classes were finished and saw she had a missed call from Zayn. Earlier that morning, when Liam was fully functioning and hating every aspect of life, she sent Zayn a quick message with Liam's phone number attached. The hungover boy in question whined until his head ache went away, and then panicked when he realized what the previous night's activities entailed. The only reason Lou knew Zayn texted Liam, was the simple shriek heard from the bathroom, followed by a crash, and Liam resurfacing holding the back of his head, pouting and all. Needless to say, Lou didn't tell him how Zayn got his number. 

Kicking off her shoes and climbing into bed, she dialed Zayn's number and waited for him to pick up. She promised herself to pull out her books as soon as they got off the phone. 

"Talked to Liam today." Zayn answered. His voice was scratchy and hoarse. 

"And?" Lou wondered. "What's wrong?" 

"He didn't seem like he wanted to be there, Lou. He was almost....scared of me. It was like I was a white hot branding iron and he was afraid to get burned," Zayn replied. Lou let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. 

"I thought you were going to tell me he didn't show up," she stated. 

"No, he came and left after I was done talking," Zayn whined. "Have you seen him yet? Is he upset?" 

Lou pulled the phone away from her ear and checked her messages. "I haven't heard from him yet. He'll be pretty quiet today if something is bothering him. If you're worried, just call him." She climbed back out of bed and went to her bag, pulling books and notes out. 

"That's the problem, Lou. I don't know if he even wants to speak to me right now," Zayn relinquished, the sound of guilt dripping through his voice. The line was silent for a moment before he gasped quietly. "Lou! Will you talk to him, please?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," she stated. Zayn groaned loudly. "Look, just call him. Text him even. There's nothing you could do at this moment to scare him off -"

"He never told you did he?" Zayn interrupted. Lou waited to reply, her mouth going dry. 

"Tell me what?" 

"About what happened the day everything ended," Zayn stated. Lou remained silent as to think about what happened, but for the life of her, couldn't pinpoint anything. "I didn't think you did," he said after a moment. 

Lou opened her book and pulled a pen from her desk. She turned to the correct page and began writing down notes as she waited for Zayn to continue. Before he could get any further, though, an abrupt knock at the door tore her away from the book. "Just a second, Zayn," she instructed quickly, standing up from her desk. 

"Call me later?" he asked. Lou chuckled softly and went to open the door. 

"No, no, probably an RA," she said and opened the door, revealing a disheveled looking Liam. His eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks were puffy and blotchy. 

"I'm going to turn straight, Lou, I swear on my life, I'm done with men," Liam whimpered. 

"Is that Liam?" Zayn asked over the phone. Lou cleared her throat and ushered the poor boy in her room. 

"I'm going to have to call you back," Lou stated. She hung up the phone before he had a chance to respond and shoved it in her back pocket. Lou crossed the room where Liam was now sobbing into her pillow. "What happened, Liam?" she asked quietly. She climbed in bed beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. 

"He's unbelievable," he sniffled loudly. "Fuck men, Lou, they all suck." Lou fought back the urge to grimace at all the snot, pulling the boy into her chest. Liam turned and buried his face into Lou's shirt, gripping it tightly between his fingers. Lou lifted one of her hands and placed it against his hair to soothe him. 

"Talk to me, love, what happened?" she pressed. Liam only whined in response. He snuggled in closer to Lou and pulled the blanket over the both of them. "How about we nap, and then later we can go out for dinner?" Lou suggested. 

"Don't let me have any alcohol," he teased. Lou chuckled lowly and hummed in response. 

"After this? Not a fucking chance, sweet pea," she giggled. Liam choked out a short laugh, which really came out a broken sob, but Lou wasn't going to push him. "I love you, babes." Liam nodded and dug the heel of his palm against his eyes, wiping away the tears. 

"Love you too." 

Lou giggled at the thought of Liam finding a girl. Honestly, the boy's big gay awakening happened while they were at a house party in school. Lou tried to find the bathroom, but ended up finding Liam and two other blokes half naked and caught in very compromising positions. After that, he was absolutely sure he was gay, even if he suspected when Lou pulled a stunt, which will be explained. Lou had her big, gay awakening when she was nineteen years old. It didn't happen like story books, fireworks flashing in the background, with a girl touching all the right places. No, it didn't happen like Liam's, where girls were falling at her feet, dates were being thrown at her left and right, and her she kept her friends through it all. 

When it happened, Lou was at home, with Liam of course, whining about their love problems. Liam still hadn't come to terms with his own sexuality, and Lou wasn't getting any further. All her life, she dated boys, kissed boys, and even lost her virginity to a boy as well. Liam was having a crisis involving his identity in regards to his sexuality. At that point, neither of them were aware of their sexuality and fluidity, nor the ways that their sexuality could translate into multiple things. 

With Liam, he thought that his attraction to men meant sex, and he was squeamish when it came to having sex with another man. He liked to look at men, and occasionally have a wank to them, but the thought of engaging in sexual activities....well Liam didn't want to think about that at all. Lou tried to tell him that he didn't actually have to put things  _there_ , but the boy was tough to change. " _How did things even fit there? What if he was big?"_  Just two of the many thoughts Lou heard over the course of two months. 

"Liam," Lou snapped while they sat in her room, Liam complaining about liking men, but not being able to do anything about it. Liam shut his mouth quickly and ducked his head. "Have you kissed another guy?" she wondered. Liam shook his head no. "What if I called Max?"

"Jesus, Lou, no! Fuck no, actually," Liam hissed. Lou stood from her bed and pulled out her phone, only to watch it go flying across the room when Liam smacked it away. "What the fuck is he going to do?" 

Lou crossed her room and picked the phone back up from the ground, texting a number. "He always told you that he'd help you. So, I'm making the executive decision to get you that help." She pressed send and watched it fly away into cyberspace. 

"Fucking hell," Liam groaned. He paced around the room for a moment before turning back to Lou in a frenzy. He scrubbed the side of his face and smirked to himself. "Fine, if I'm doing this, so are you. Tell him to bring Alexis." Lou stared at him blankly. Liam motioned to the phone and glared. "Do it or I'm going home." 

Lou sighed heavily and typed another message to Max. Without missing a beat, he promised to be over in twenty minutes. So, they waited. For twenty minutes, they waited in anticipation for what was to come. Lou watched as Liam paced the room, his hands visibly shook, and he looked like he was going to chew his nails to the bone. 

Finally, Max and Alexis showed up, and were ushered into Lou's bedroom. "So," Lou drawled, earning a pathetic whine from Liam and a chuckle from Max. 

"I know why you texted me, Lou," Max explained. "I'll take Liam to another room. Alexis will stay with you. This isn't our first rodeo, so just calm down." With that, Liam nodded nervously and followed Max out the door, leaving her alone with Alexis. 

"I don't really know what I'm doing," Lou mumbled. Alexis sat down on Lou's bed with a quiet giggle, patting the place next to her. 

"We don't have to do anything, Lou. I'm here, yes, and if we sit here and talk while Max tries to lick Liam's tonsils, that's fine with me." Lou barked out a laugh as she sat beside the girl. She fiddled her thumbs in her lap, before turning to Alexis, her heart thumping rapidly and stomach churning with each second. 

"Can we just - can we go slow? Like, super slow - my speed - like -" 

"Yes, babe. Just relax, first of all. I'm not going to bite you," Alexis instructed. Lou stood and motioned for Alexis to come closer with trembling fingers.

"I want to stand, if that's alright." Alexis nodded and followed Lou, reaching out for her hands. She pulled them to her mouth and kissed over Lou's knuckles. Pursing her lips against the skin of her hand, Alexis looked up at her with a sheepish grin. "Fuck," she whimpered. Alexis giggled and stepped closer, not invading her space too much, but still providing her presence. 

"I'm following your lead, alright?" Lou nodded and lifted her hands to either side of Alexis's face, thumbing the area near her cheekbones. "You really are gorgeous, love." Lou looked down with a blush rising on her cheeks. Alexis reached up and forced Lou to lift her gaze, pulling her back into the moment. "Put your hands down and let me show you. It's the same as making out with a guy. And Christ, Lou, relax and enjoy yourself." 

And then Alexis was leaning in, Lou was holding her breath. Their breath mingled, mint and cotton candy bubble gum. Lou closed her eyes, snapped them shut really. She could feel Alexis smile against her, even if they hadn't touched yet. Speaking of touching, there were lovely hands snaking up to her face. The air shifted around the two of them, fucking hell, and Alexis closed the gap and there were a pair of soft, supple lips on hers.  _Holy fucking shit_ , she was kissing a girl.  _Lou_  was kissing a  _girl_. 

There were actual lips - no, not just any lips, a  _girl's_  lips. And honestly.... it was glorious. It was odd, because there's an actual girl attached to those lips, and breasts, lovely breasts, indeed. But it was, by far, ten times better than kissing a boy. Lou bit back a surprised noise at the contact, and remained still while Alexis moved her hands down and back up her arms, along the crevice of her shoulder, and to her neck where they remained. Alexis didn't move, thank fuck, until Lou let her body relax. Her shoulders loosened under the girl's touch, and her hands relaxed from the fists they sported. 

Lou lifted her hands and rested them on Alexis's waist, slightly digging in to the soft skin there. The girl hummed happily in response, earning a shaky exhale. Just like a boy. Just....softer lips. She inhaled deeply and moved her hands to Alexis's arms, exhaling as she opened her mouth slightly. Alexis trailed her fingers down Lou's shoulder blades and finally rested on her perky bum, pulling her flush against her chest. Lou giggled into the kiss and allowed Alexis to dart her tongue across her lip, nibbling softly. 

"Very good," Alexis noted. Lou smiled shyly and wrapped her arms around Alexis's neck, resting softly on her own shoulders, subconsciously moving in the direction of her bed. Suddenly, Lou felt herself being pulled towards it, Alexis sitting down, her hands now reaching for Lou's legs. "Is this alright?" she asked quickly when she took in Lou's expression. Lou paused for a moment and steadied herself, nodding with a bitten grin. "Just sit on my legs like you would a boy," Alexis instructed. Lou did as she was told, sitting across her lap with a happy  _oof._  Lou attached their lips again, lazily opening her mouth and licking into it, savoring each second. 

Alexis pulled away slightly to catch her breath. "Can I touch you?" she asked. Lou leaned her forehead against hers, let out a soft snort. 

"If you don't, I'm going to scream." Alexis smirked and let her hands roam over Lou's body, stopping briefly to cup her breasts, massaging them gently, before returning them to their rightful place, Lou's bum. Lou felt a bought of courage rip through her body, and she took the girl's face between her hands and bit down on her bottom lip harshly, pulling it away with a pop, and grinding her hips down. 

"Quick learner," Alexis murmured. Lou giggled into her lips again and copied her movements, Alexis hissing in return. She deepened their kiss, pushing her chest against Alexis with enough force to knock the both of them back against her sheets. Lou felt a heat pooling in her tummy, something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Her toes curled as she moved against Alexis with purpose now. This feeling, this pleasure, ripping through skin gave Lou the confidence boost she needed. 

"Fuck," Lou breathed against the girl's lips. A hand slipped under Lou's body and trailed closer to the lining of her trousers. She inhaled sharply, only to let it out by a swift knock at the door. Lou groaned in frustration and climbed away from Alexis, who was giggling at her misfortune. 

Their time was cut short by Liam coming back into the room, Max shuffling in behind him while he tried to adjust his trousers. Lou gave Alexis a quick kiss on the cheek and thanked her, ushering them out the door and to their car. She then grabbed Liam by the arm and drug him outside in the backyard, falling to the ground in a heap, breathless. 

"Is your reaction good or bad?" he asked from standing above her. Lou stared into the clouds while she let the day's events process. 

"Liam," she stated quietly. 

"Lou." 

"I think I like girls too."

"I'm pretty sure I like men. Just men."

"Did we just figure our problems out?" Lou asked in awe. Liam plopped down next to her and flattened his back against the grass. 

"Think we did, LouBear. I think we did." 

When Liam and Lou woke up later in the evening, Liam was stuck to Lou's back, his arms wrapped around her middle resting on her tummy, legs tangled together between the sheets, and his lips pressing close to her shoulder, blowing gentle puffs of hair onto her skin. She shuffled softly as to not disturb Liam, and tried to climb out from under the sheets. Liam stirred and turned over in bed, pulling the sheets with him. Lou grinned and made her way to her desk, opening her book again and beginning to revise. 

Lou and Liam's relationship looked odd from the outside, yes, but it worked for the two of them. Lou was Liam's best friend, and he was her 'protector'. They were a duo that you'd not normally see together. But there they would be, surrounded by stares when they ran past a group, Lou yanking Liam around, but only after they finished coursework. 

Can you be mischievous and studious? 

Yes. Yes, you can. 

And Lou was a living testament to that statement. While she still let the books control a good amount of her time, she still made time to have a little fun in her life. That fun included many, many hours of writing and rewriting the chapters of her book, and a separate two hours left for Liam and whatever fun they could get in to. No, Lou was not a trouble maker; she never disrupted class, didn't bad mouth professors or head masters, and damn sure didn't pick on anyone else besides Liam. She was a sweet girl, a studious girl, but definitely a stubborn girl at heart. 

Ten minutes of revising turned into thirty. Sighing, Lou stuffed away her class notes and pulled out her computer, opening her documents and getting back to writing. Her story hadn't been touched since the night before at the bar, but something about the change of events made her fingers itch. Lou shifted in the chair until she was comfortable, then cracked her knuckles and got to writing. 

_"Helena trudged through the snow, lifting her knees high in the air and sinking them down again with each step. Her fingers stung against the grueling wind that she walked against. Skin was met with the soft, wool fur in her coat, but soaked through from the falling flurries. Helena sniffled, biting back the tears that threatened to spill. Camilla followed closely behind her, clutching her hand in an attempt to either soothe or keep up with the older girl. Honestly, Helena didn't care; Camilla was with her, and that alone was enough to keep her going._

_'Where did they say they'd meet us? The safe house is another two miles and the hunters are going to reach the clearing before then,' Camilla inquired. Helena shook her head and yanked the girl's hand, causing Camilla to stumble in the snow._

_'I didn't ask for you to save me. I could have made it just fine on my own,' Helena replied, irritation dripping through her words. Camilla stopped in her tracks and pulled Helena around to face her._

_'You're never going to make it in time. I'm trying to help you, not save you,' Camilla said while pulling her to her own chest. Helena went easily, wrapping her gloved hands around her waist and burying her nose in Camilla's warm neck, smelling of red wine and intimacy. 'If we make it to the tavern, I can call for help. Hugo and Jack can meet us in the morning before the streets are busy again.'_

_With Camilla whispering sweet instructions in her hair, Helena wants to say yes. She wants to agree to the suggestions and the plans, because of the girl before her, staring back with sincere smiles like the first bloom of spring, tulips and lilies lining the flower garden she'd have when it was all over with. Helena wanted so much to say yes, give in and let Camilla take care of her. But alas, she couldn't. She couldn't risk the safety of a girl who found Helena on the side of the bank, blood soaking through to her skin; the young girl who cared for her while her toes were still blue and her lips were chapped with ice; the beautiful girl for whom she fell so very intensely._

_So, instead of agreeing with Camilla, Helena pulled back, and leaned forward to place a chaste kiss upon her lips._

_'Sometimes when I think about home, I think about hair color, the azure shade of your eyes, and the way your voice sounds whispering my name. How, even if you wash it away, I still remember the way your skin smells and feels against mine. If someone asked me to describe home, I'd tell them all of those things, not even bothering to think about how they probably expected to hear about a place.' She rubbed the tip of her nose against the taller woman before her, stretching on the tips of her toes to do so. Camilla smiled against the blistering wind. Helena gave her a mournful smile and laced their fingers together before getting back on track, shielding their eyes from the flurries that fell in waves of smoke billowing from stacks."_

 

"What's wrong with me?" a quiet voice spoke from behind Lou at her desk. She turned to find Liam lying on his stomach, clutching a pillow under his body tightly. His eyes still red rimmed and puffy, cheeks blotchy, and a sheen of sweat lining his forehead from sleeping in all of his clothes. Lou saved her documents and closed down her computer, promising to get back to it later on. Afterward, she climbed out of her chair and walked back to her bed, sliding under the sheets behind Liam and wrapping her arms around his middle. He sniffles, once, twice, two more times before he's a blubbering mess, not daring to turn and look at Lou's face. 

"This will blow over, soon, sugarplum. Maybe it's time we take a holiday to the beach. How would that sound?" Lou suggested. Liam mulled it over, wiping his nose in the process. "We can even get some tents before we go. Sleep on the sand and all that."

"I don't understand what's wrong with me," Liam whined. Lou silently rolled her eyes and snuggled in closer to the crying boy. 

"Nothing is wrong with you, petal. Let's get dressed and grab dinner, yeah?" Lou kissed the back of Liam's shoulder and moved away from him, climbing out of the bed and pulling the boy with her. 

Liam sat upright and accepted the tissue Lou handed him, blowing his nose immediately. He threw the used tissue in the trash bin and raked his hands up and down his face. Lou watched on as the boy struggled. Having had enough, she yanked Liam to his feet, pushed him to the bathroom, and turned on the water faucet, waiting for Liam to splash his face. Once he did, she turned on her heels smugly and traveled to her closet to grab a jumper. 

"Do you think if things were different, we could have worked out?" Liam asked suddenly as he emerged from the en suite. Lou sputtered, the shoe she was trying to slip on suddenly falling from her grasp. Liam snickered from where he stood. 

"Christ, Liam, warn someone before you drop bombs," Lou grumbled. She took the shoe once more and slid it on her foot, standing to adjust her jumper. Liam followed suit and slipped on his shoes, followed by his hoodie. He grabbed his phone and stuffed it in his back pocket. 

"You never answered my question," he pressed. Lou sighed and rose to her feet, snatching her phone and wallet from her desk. She turned to find Liam stood against the wall, arms crossed in front of him. Lou sighed scratched the back of her neck. 

"I've thought about it. I think maybe in another lifetime, yes, we might have ended up together. If we weren't both gay, possibly. I don't know." 

"I don't think we could have worked if you still had a smart ass attitude," Liam said matter of factly. Lou grabbed her pillow and hurled it at him, laughing as he swatted it away. "Oi! Now I know we really couldn't have worked out. C'mon, let's go eat. My stomach is about to eat itself." Liam held his hand out for Lou to take, which she did graciously. The two walked out the door still hand in hand, smiles plastered on their faces. 

 

An hour later, the pair found themselves sitting in a booth at Greasy's, stuffing their face with burgers and chips. Lou suggested the fast food place after Liam expressed his craving for cheeseburgers. Lou ordered the house special, a cheeseburger with chicken tenders in the middle, paired with salted chips and the customer's choice of drink. Liam, however, went for the entire show. A cheeseburger with chicken tenders, veggies, and a healthy dollop of mayo, cheese covered chips, and chocolate shake with a coke as well. Lou doubted Liam in the beginning, fearing he'd either opt out or spew it all back up later on. 

Surprisingly, Liam took the meal in strides, eating the entire thing and even stealing a chip or two from Lou. 

"How you can eat that much and still look the way you do is beyond me, Liam. Absolutely beyond me. The fact that you just walk around like that-"

"For your information, Lou, I have to put in actual work to look this good. Your metabolism is so high, you could gorge yourself on sweet cakes for the rest of your life and maintain your figure," Liam replied quickly. Lou took another bite of her burger and tossed a chip his way. 

"I don't have toned pecks and abs, or anything for that matter. Your ass looks like it was carved by the gods, Liam, the  _gods_ ," Lou whined. Liam giggled and threw his napkin at her face, barking out a laugh when it hit her square in the nose. 

"You're a menace, Lou," he replied. 

Lou sat down her burger on the plate and wiped her mouth, taking a long pull from her drink afterward. Liam finished off the end of his food and sat back, surveying the area. Lou snickered and placed her plate on Liam's, cutting his supply of food off. With a quick whine from him, Lou took the plates and put them on another table to be picked up. 

Respecting Liam's boundaries, Lou hadn't brought up the incident. The issue she was having, was the simple fact that she didn't he and Zayn were an item at some point, let alone the details of said item. The entire situation was foreign to Lou, and while she wanted to let Liam be the one to bring it up and tell her what happened, she was getting anxious. Zayn made it seem like something major happened between the two of them, and that sat heavy on her stomach. 

Liam was Lou's younger brother. She felt a possessiveness over him. It was a protective feeling, but it was still one that made sure to watch over him at all times. Liam was this big puppy dog that knew no boundaries, always seeming to find himself in trouble, and needed to be looked out for. Even if he didn't admit to it, he needed someone looking out for him. At least, that's what Lou believed. 

So, dinner was finished, and the couple sat full to the brim. Liam leaned back in the chair and rubbed a hand over his belly, letting out a quiet burp. Lou took her chance and struck. 

"How did you get wrapped up in Zayn Malik?" she asked bluntly. Liam's eyes widened as he snapped his head up to meet her gaze. Lou crossed her hands and rested her chin on the tops. "And no secrets. We are supposed to be open books, Payno," Lou added. Liam scrubbed his face and groaned loudly. 

"Why do you have to target me when I'm full and vulnerable?" he asked with a quirk of his mouth. "It's like you wait until I'm immobilized and then you-"

"You're avoiding my questions, Liam. Frankly, I'm very offended that you never told me about him," Lou scolded. Liam reached for his drink and sipped softly, before leaning his elbows on the table and sighing loudly. 

"Do you remember the night we were going to drive down to your mum's, but I couldn't go because I had a late assignment due?" Liam asked. Lou nodded her head and furrowed her eyebrows. 

"That was when Brody was so sick, they had to take him to A&E," Lou mumbled, recalling the memory. 

Brody, her younger brother, developed a high fever over the course of eight hours, reaching a temperature that threatened seizures. Poor boy was already prone to having them, but added to that a very high fever, his well being was in trouble. Lou got the call at five that night around the time she and Liam were finishing up their shared economy homework. She answered the phone, her mother sobbing on the other end of the line trying to figure out what needed to be done on the other end, and hysterical voices coming from all across the house. Lou stole Liam's phone and talked to her sister, Iris, while still speaking with her mother. 

At first, Lou was hesitant to drive all the way back to Donny if Brody just had a slight fever and her mother was exaggerating. After twenty minutes of listening to her mother cry on the phone while Iris and Georgia, Iris's twin, watched their brother have another seizure, Lou had enough and went to pack a bag. While doing so, she had Liam repeat steps to Iris to get Brody to the car without hurting him. Lou placated her mother until they got to urgent care, and then Iris and Georgia while they waited to get him into a room. By the time Lou and Liam were both ready to go to Donny, Liam said he had to stay behind to finish an assignment for a class. Lou never thought anything of it, just Liam being studious. 

"Please tell me you didn't hook up with him when you could have gone to help my family," Lou begged quietly, irritation building. Liam shook his head vigorously and reached across the table to hold Lou's hand. 

"Louis Tomlinson, I would never do that to you. You know I couldn't," Liam offered. Lou laced her fingers with Liam's and smiled gently, nodding her head along to let him finish. "That night I got a call from an unknown number. They told me I'd want to meet them if my car meant anything to me."

"Fucking hell, Li, why the fuck didn't you say anything?" Lou gasped. Liam shook his head again. 

"I thought maybe it was just some prank. Some bloke in our science class made a comment about pulling the ultimate prank on some unsuspecting newbies. His boys never once looks at me, nor did they show any interest in me from the beginning," he explained slowly, like he was waiting to step on a mine. Lou watched on patiently, listening intently. 

"You went to meet them, didn't you?" Lou inquired. Liam shook his head ruefully and continued on. 

"I didn't realize what exactly I was getting myself in to. They texted me the address, I followed it, and suddenly, I'm walking straight into a fire. Among those tossers, were Joey Fitzgerald, that kid from English." Lou nodded with a scoff. "They'd stolen my car, my laptop, three of my books, and threatened to push it into the river if I didn't do what they asked. You will never guess as to what they wanted," he grumbled. Lou's breath hitched in her throat. 

"I swear to god, Liam, I'll kill someone," she hissed, attempting to climb out of her chair. Joey was associated with a group of kids like liked to 'initiate' students into a club they had going on campus. It wasn't life threatening, necessarily, but they were known for their awful hazing rituals. One of Lou's classmates endured the ordeal and ended up in urgent care with a concussion and traces of engine oil in their stomach. She shuddered at the thought of something like that happening to Liam. Before Lou could make it out, Liam gripped her arm and pulled her back, giving her a stern look. 

"They gave me a bag of pills," he began with a shaky tone. Lou laced their fingers together on the table. "I remember thinking about all my valuables. The hundreds of pounds I spent on books and that damned laptop. And my car, Lou, my car is worth thousands of pounds. How was I supposed to get that back?" 

"How many did you take?" Lou asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer she was going to get. Liam grinned smugly. 

"Technically, just one. I let the rest of them fall in my sleeve when I lifted my hand," he replied smiling. "I need an award for my acting that night. They all thought I was going to die, honestly." Liam cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "They dropped my keys and bag as they ran, leaving me. Before they left, Someone knocked me out cold." 

"Fucking hell," Lou whimpered. She tightened her grip on Liam's hands. 

"I woke up an hour later in my car, Zayn was driving me to A&E. He saw the bag with only a few  pills left and thought I had really taken them. Even had a team of nurses waiting at the emergency entrance. By the time I was coherent enough to talk, they were rushing me to the back to pump my stomach. Zayn never left my side through the entire night." 

"Liam, you do realize this is grounds for arrest, right?" Lou asked. Liam nodded and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his messages. He turned the screen around for her to see, showing a message from an unknown number. Her stomach churned as she read along, a sour taste crawling up her throat. 

"Do you know what that picture is, Lou? Do you know the importance?" he wondered. Lou shook her head and studied the picture intently. "Apparently, they knew Zayn was the one who found me. As far as they know, I had my stomach pumped, and that's why I'm alive right now. We decided to keep that story just in case." 

Lou's brows creased as she tried to piece together the story. "What does that have to do with Zayn? You don't have any younger siblings, do you?" she asked, staring at the child's room in the picture. Liam shook his head and pulled his phone away, shoving it back in his pocket. 

"I don't, no. But supposedly, Zayn lives with someone who has a little girl. The picture of the room is the child's room. I've been over to his flat before. It's not his, at all, but I've never seen the mother. I don't even know her name. All I know is that she lives with Zayn, along with her little girl," Liam explained. Lou remained quiet, trying to process the information. 

"But why would they do something like this to him? He just helped you. As far as they know, you didn't say anything to him in fear of retaliation."

"I thought that too. Something must have gotten out about us being together. I didn't get this message until we ended things." 

Lou scoffed loudly and groaned. "Liam, what the fucking hell is going on with this? Who the fuck would do something like this? And why wait until you guys ended things to threaten you?" she asked. Liam shrugged his shoulders. 

"Zayn thinks it had something to do the kid. He said something about the father being connected to the London Symphony, but that could be anyone," Liam said. "He never told me the name, but he almost acted.....guarded about the situation. Like the father of the child had something to do with the club on campus. As far as Zayn knew, the guy was doing both the symphony and uni." 

"It still doesn't make sense though, Liam. Let's say the father had a part in the gang, maybe he was a past member, or even had a relative in it. Obviously, they're all going to know that he has a kid," Lou offered. "So, they knew who the father was, and somehow they figured out Zayn was associated. They threaten you the only way they know how to, by getting to Zayn first." 

"Lou, I never said anything about it, and the girl is fine. I don't say anything about it at all, and the girl will still be fine," Liam scolded. Lou shook her head and pulled her hands away from his grip. 

"You don't get the seriousness in this! They threatened a little girl, Li! They didn't threaten an adult. An actual fucking child. How old is the girl, do you know?" she asked. 

"She's five now. At the time, she was only four," Liam replied, hanging his head. 

"A fucking four year old as a pawn in their threat. So help me god, Liam," she seethed, picking up her jacket and jumping out of her chair before Liam could stop her. She slung on her jacket and stopped, hearing his whine. "Does Zayn know about the threat?" she inquired quietly. 

"Of course he knows. He was the one who thought it had something to do with the father, that threat. Look, if it'll make you feel better, we'll talk to Zayn. The last time this shit came up, we both decided to keep it quiet," Liam offered. Lou sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling slightly on the ends. She gave another exasperated groan and relented. 

"We'll call him in the morning. Right now, though, you're coming back to mine and we're going to bed," she said matter of factly. Liam chuckled and climbed from his chair. 

"No more studying?" he wondered. Lou gave him a stern look over her shoulder as she traveled to the exit of the diner, sending Liam into a fit of giggles. 

"Lose the sass, Payno. You and I are having a serious conversation tomorrow." 

That night, Lou tossed and turned, worry seeping through her veins. In some weird way, she couldn't help but wonder how she'd been roped in to becoming a detective for someone's child. Someone she didn't even know. 

What a lovely turn of events. 


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of talking in this chapter. Just a fill before we get into the meat of it. Thanks so much for being patient with me.

"Ophelia Grace, if you're not out in the living room in five minutes, you're not watching  _Peppa_   _Pig_  for a week!" Harry yelped from the kitchen where she tried to slap a sandwich together, piling things in her daughter's lunch bag. Zayn ran in from his bedroom just in time to miss a flying bottle of water. He picked it up from the ground and slid it across the counter. 

"We have twenty minutes, Haz, take a deep breath," Zayn soothed, walking up behind her and kissing the back of her curly hair. 

"Momma!" Ophelia squealed. "There's a buggy on my bag!" 

"So help me-" 

"I'll be there in a sec, Philly," Zayn called, slinging on his shirt and pouring a cup of coffee into a mug, setting in Harry's hands before he rushed off in the direction of a young child screaming. 

Ten minutes later, Harry stacked Ophelia's lunch on the counter, along with her purse, her bag for school, and a very large cup of coffee. Zayn carried her daughter over his shoulder into the living area, a sour look written all over his face, probably due to Philly not letting Zayn dress her. After Harry was dressed and ready to go, she slung both hers and Ophelia's bags over her shoulder, grabbed her purse and coffee, and stopped to take a deep breath. 

"Daddy's going to pick you up after practice today, bug," Zayn explained as he buckled Philly's jacket. 

"I thought you were going to come get me," she pouted. Harry watched from the foyer, smiling softly at the exchange. 

Zayn chuckled and poked at Ophelia's pouting lips. "Put it away, miss. Daddy's picking you up, and then he's going to get me. I convinced him to take us to lunch. Now, raise your arms," he instructed. Ophelia did as she was told, lifting her arms so Zayn could inspect areas of her jacket that rose to uncover exposed skin. When no skin was found, he smiled and kissed her forehead. 

"Can we go get biscuits too?" she questioned. Zayn chanced a glance in Harry's direction, but shrugged. 

"We'll ask daddy about it. Go grab your bag from mummy."

After everyone was loaded into the car, Harry pulled away from their building and headed towards her daughter's school. 

The morning had been interesting to say the least. Ophelia had an important test in her dance classes, thus meaning she was up late the night before practicing. Harry waited until the small girl was tethering on passing out from sleep, before she put a stop to the late night and tucked her into bed. Being up late for Ophelia also meant Harry was up until her daughter fell asleep. When she finally became aware of her blaring alarm clock, she only had an hour and a half to get everything and everyone ready for the day, whereas she normally had around two or three hours. Zayn, bless his pure heart, woke up the second Harry barged into his room and demanded he get up. While Zayn helped Ophelia ready, Harry busied herself with making lunches, planning dinner, and getting ready herself. 

To top it all off, Harry had a test she hadn't studied for whatsoever. She forgot about it until she glanced at her calendar in the kitchen that morning. So, while she drove, Zayn spouted off information to her to help. 

"Hazza, you realize your professor won't fault you for one bad grade, right?" Zayn inquired. Harry shook her head and took a large gulp of coffee, the familiar warm burn slowly waking her body up. 

"Don't care. Talk about Jane Austen. I need details, Zayn,  _details_!" she wailed. Ophelia giggled from the backseat. 

"Zaynie, give mummy details!" 

Zayn laughed from his seat in the front, Harry following behind him. By the time Harry turned down the street for Ophelia's school, the sour start in the morning was long forgotten, and the promise of a good day was fueled by childish giggles. 

Pulling up to the curb of the school, Harry climbed out of her car and unbuckled Ophelia from her chair, pulling her out of the car and handing her back to the little girl. "Remember daddy is going to pick you up. Do I need to call the headmaster, or can you give them my note?" she asked as she knelled down to her level. Harry fixed a stray curl and tucked it behind her daughter's ear. 

"I can give them the note, mummy, I promise," she said proudly. Harry smiled and leaned forward to kiss Philly's head. 

"Be good today, bug. Love you will my heart," Harry replied, placing one more kiss to the top of her head before sending Philly on her way. Climbing back into the car, she waited until one of the teachers met her daughter and escorted her into the building. "Will you call the school in five minutes and remind them Niall is picking Ophelia up this afternoon?" she asked Zayn, plugging her phone in to the audio jack and blaring a new playlist. 

Zayn jumped at the sudden music change, but nodded and turned the volume up slightly.  _Gypsy Woman by Jonathan Tyler_ rang through the speakers, igniting the car in sound. Harry sang along loudly, taking sips of her coffee in between breaks. Zayn rolled down the window enough to let cigarette smoke out as he lit one. After taking a long drag, he handed the cigarette to Harry, who took it graciously and blew the smoke out her nose. 

True to his word, Zayn called the school to remind them of Ophelia's pick up situation, and texted Niall to remind him of the pick up time and who to talk to. Niall responded within minutes, claiming Zayn to be an asshole, and tell him he remembered how everything worked. Zayn sent back a kissy face and showed Harry, who giggled. 

As the car pulled into the parking lot for their university, Harry pulled the car in park and turned the music down. Rolling down the windows completely, she stole a cigarette from the pack she kept in her car and lit it, relaxing as the nicotine flooded her veins. Zayn fished out another one for himself and followed her motions, relaxing once it was lit and hanging his hand out the window. 

"Have you talked to Liam lately?" Harry asked as she took another drag. Zayn shook his head. 

"He wants to go to dinner and talk about stuff," Zayn said, voice quiet. 

"Stuff?" 

"Stuff, as in... Shit, Haz, I don't know what stuff means, he just said stuff," he snapped. Harry snorted and handed over her cup of coffee. 

"Drink this, asshole. And Niall thinks she gets her temper from me," Harry replied with little bite. Zayn snatched the coffee and took a gulp, setting it back in the cup holder. He took another drag and puffed out the smoke slowly. Harry smirked and took a pull herself, blowing the smoke in Zayn's direction. He looked over at his best friend. The corner of his mouth quirked up despite his own attitude. 

Success. 

"You done being a tit?" Harry wondered innocently. Zayn rolled his eyes and reached for her coffee once more, only managing to steal a small sip before Harry made grabby hands for it. 

"He told me he wanted to talk about a few of my friends. Apparently, something that happened a few years ago is being brought up again," Zayn explained. Harry raised her eyebrows in question but didn't push. "Do you remember Niall's brother?" 

"James? Or was it Jamie?" Harry replied. Zayn shrugged and flicked his cigarette out the window onto the ground. 

"I think it was James. The brother no one talks about," he added. 

Harry nodded her head knowingly. "It was James. Niall said he didn't want him coming near Ophelia at all. From what I can tell, no one in the family really likes him," she said. "What does Liam have to do with Niall's brother?" 

Zayn hesitated for a moment and looked down at his hands, fiddling with his thumbs. "Can we talk about this later? I'll buy us lunch at the cafe around the corner. Just not in pubic, please," he whispered. Harry considered his offer, and ultimately sighed heavily with a nod, rolling up the windows and turning off the car, grabbing her bag from the backseat and slinging it over her shoulder. 

"I'll meet you back here. Can you take me to the house before you meet Niall?" Harry asked quietly. Zayn nodded and followed her away from the car, kissing her cheek softly before they parted ways. 

Inside the building, Harry stopped to buy a bottle of water and a granola bar from a vending machine like she did most mornings, then walked towards her class. Her English class had been moved to an earlier time due to some scheduling issues on the school's part. So, instead of an afternoon class, it was a morning class, meaning her test was the first thing she would be doing that day. 

There were still students milling about when she made it to the door. Taking her usual seat, Harry sat and pulled out her notes and a pencil, going over her information once more before she had to put them away. As she neared the end of her notes, a pair of bright red vans stepped in front of her desk. Thin ankles clad in dark wash skinny jeans followed the vans. Harry let her eyes travel up an invisible line until she reached a family set of eyes. 

Lou. 

Harry snorted and averted her gaze back to her notes, leaving Lou to stand there a bit longer. When she wouldn't move, Harry looked up again to find Lou staring at her with a sad frown on her forehead. Harry gave her a stern look and grabbed her water bottle, taking the lid off and gulping a long pull, containing the want to smirk at the girl in front of her. 

"Can I help you with something?" Harry inquired. Lou fish mouthed for a moment, opening her mouth to talk, but ultimately closing it again. "I'm studying for the test today," she added, hoping to convey the message to Lou to leave her alone. Unfortunately, the universe works against Harry's favor. 

Lou sighed heavily and sat down in the desk next to Harry. "The test was canceled. Professor emailed us this morning." Harry snapped her head up at Lou with a furious glare. "Judging by your face, you had no idea." 

"Any idea?" Harry yelped. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, containing her voice to a light whisper. "I couldn't check my email this morning because I was up late last night and had to get two people ready for the day, one of those including a five year old, after I woke up later than I should have. So, no, I didn't check my email because I physically didn't have the time to stop running around making lunches and dressing toddlers to check my god damn email." 

Silence followed as Harry tried to calm down. Lou stared at her with a gaping mouth, her pulse racing quickly under her skin at the juncture by her shoulder. Finally, Harry took another sip of her water and closed her notes, stuffing them away in her bag. 

"I'm sorry," Lou spoke first, softly, gently, like she was walking on eggshells. Harry shot her a look and softened at Lou's guilty features. "I didn't know...I'm sorry, I just - I thought -"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you," Harry interrupted. Lou went to get up out of the chair but Harry stopped her, grabbing her arm and forcing her to sit back down. "I'm sorry about the other day as well. I shouldn't have run out like that," she whimpered. 

"I guess calling you out in front of the entire lecture hall wasn't the best way of flirting, so I'm sorry for that," Lou replied, earning a light hearted giggle from Harry. 

"Compliment in there somewhere, yeah?" Harry teased. "Truce?" she held out her hand to Lou with a secret smile on her face. Lou grabbed her hand with the same energy and nodded, smiling brightly when she noticed Harry's dimples were out. 

"I'm guessing you have siblings living with you?" Lou asked once their hands broke apart. Harry stuttered, knocking over her water bottle. She laughed nervously and shrugged. 

"Something like that," Harry said. Lou accepted that answer as the two settled in for the rest of class. 

At noon, Harry left Lou, who was adamant about walking Harry to her classes, no matter where they were on campus. Lou blushed when Harry leaned forward to place a chaste kiss to her cheek, and turned to head towards the car. Lou finally talked Harry to death to make her give up her phone number, so the second she walked away, Harry received a text from Lou with a simple message. 

_**see you next mic night. i'll bring my laptop just like old times xxx** _

If Harry tripped over her left foot and almost lost her footing, no one had to know. 

Back at her car, Zayn was already waiting with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and a dark purple bruise forming over his left eye. When he caught sight of Harry, he took the cigarette from between his lips and blew out a puff of smoke, revealing a deep gash on his lip. Harry stopped right in her tracks and let her mouth hang open. 

"I know what this looks like, but I swear it wasn't my fault," Zayn promised as she neared her car. Harry dropped her bag and stepped into Zayn's space to assess the damage. "I'm fine, Hazza Bee," he pleaded. Harry touched Zayn's jaw gingerly, tilting his face from side to side and up so she could look at his throat and shoulders. 

"Tell me, right now, what happened, and then we'll figure out what to tell Ophelia," Harry stated gravely, pulling a packet of wet wipes from her purse and wiping the blood from Zayn's face. She made eye contact and snorted as she dabbed at the spot on his lip. "Don't look at me like I have two heads. Tell me what happened. After that, we can figure out what to tell Philly. Like it or not, she's going to ask her uncle Zee, and I refuse to tell me daughter you got your arse kicked," she explained, working silently, already reaching down for her bag to pull a gauze pack out. 

"Jesus, Hazza, do you have the entire Hogwarts library in that thing?" Zayn asked as he winced, Harry rolling her eyes and telling him to hush. "Don't come after me with mother hands," he grumbled. 

Harry barked out a laugh and put her hand on the back of Zayn's neck to hold him still, and then pressed the gauze back in. "What are you on about now? Mother hands?" she wondered. 

Zayn nodded his head minutely. He was able to pull from Harry's grasp to pick up his bag off the ground and stashing it in the backseat of the car. When he was done he grabbed another cigarette and lit it up, exhaling just as Harry stepped forward again with some kind of ointment. 

"Whenever something happens to me or Niall, or bloody Liam for that matter, you start coming at us with grabby hands, ready with cream or soup or medicine," Zayn mumbled. Harry watched him with amused eyes. When she was finished putting the cream on his lip, she leaned forward and kissed his forehead, resulting in Zayn retching himself away and pretending to gag. 

"Oh, come off it, you tit," Harry giggled, putting her things in her bag, stashing her bag in the car, and getting in the driver's seat to start the engine. Zayn climbed in next to her, tilting down the mirror and looking at his eye. Harry pulled away from the parking lot and began to head straight for their flat. 

"Are you giving me the silent treatment, or am I giving you the silent treatment?" she asked him, a smirk playing at her lips. Zayn sighed heavily and moved to get comfortable in the seat. 

"Alright I'm ready.... ask your worst," Zayn replied, adjusting his belt across his body, and pulling his leg under him in the chair. Harry chuckled and made a left on the road. 

"Who hit you?" 

"Apparently, they're tied to James Horan," Zayn said. Harry nodded and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She tried to keep the hitch in her breath a secret, and thankfully, the windows were rolled down, so the sound was lost with the whipping breeze that sank through the car. 

"Why did they come after you?" Harry asked next. Zayn pulled out his phone and flipped through his messages. When he found what he was looking for, he held it up for Harry to see. It was a message from Liam, a picture attached to it of Ophelia's room. Harry let out a whimper and looked over her shoulder, pulling off the road as quickly as she could. She slammed the car in park while Zayn cursed at the sudden movement. 

"Hazza, I don't know how they could have gotten that picture. I don't-"

"Niall took the picture and sent it to James, told him he threw away the chance at ever meeting his niece. Zayn, why in the hell is Liam sending you this picture?" Harry questioned. Zayn stared at her for one more moment before pocketing his phone again. 

"When James started at the university, he started up this club. It was just supposed to be a joke, as far as Niall told me, but it ended up as much more."

"Define more," Harry demanded. 

"More, as in, joking about a hazing process for members and freshies, specifically freshies and men who even hint at being gay. More, as in, actually hazing members for years before the club was taken down. I found Liam one night when Niall called me. There was close to a thousand pounds missing from his bank account, so he called me to ask if something was going on. We figured out it was James, so I went to track him down. Found Liam instead with a bag of pills next to his body. Someone knocked him out and left him for dead." 

Zayn was quiet for a moment. Harry let the information sink in before she even tried to speak at all. Her lungs were tight, like someone sat upon her chest and forced every bit of oxygen out of her body, out of her veins, leaving her a writhing mess on the floor, with nothing but blood running cold through her system. Her tongue sat heavy on her tongue, dry and vague like a smokey fog settling over an open field of wildflowers in the middle of the night, the light of the  moon as the only source of seeing. Everything about that moment was frozen in time. 

"When was James thrown in jail?" she asked suddenly, reaching down to grab her phone with shaking hands. Zayn shrugged and shook his head. 

"A year after that, I think. Liam said James wasn't there that night," Zayn explained. "But Ophelia had already been born when he went to jail. I remember Niall throwing a whiskey bottle at the wall. 'Good riddance to the fucking idiot twat', is what he said," Zayn chuckled, sporting his best Irish accent. Harry giggled slightly. She searched through her phone until she found Niall's contact, pressed call, and waited for him to answer. 

"Hellur," a chipper voice spoke through the receiver. Harry snorted and put the phone on speaker phone. 

"Do you have Philly?" Harry asked first, covering the basics. 

"Nope, thought I'd leave her at the super market with the nice man that lives in a shopping cart. Yes, woman, I have our child," Niall teased. "I'm headed to the flat now to pick up Zayn." 

"Can we talk when you get here? I want to run something by you," Harry offered, chancing a glance at Zayn, who sat smiling at her.

"Thought we'd last much longer than this, Bee. I guess it's finally time we get that divorce," Niall deadpanned. Harry shook her head and rubbed at her temples. 

"You're an absolute menace. I'm gay and you're....whatever you are." 

"How very  _dare_  you. I am an independent Irish woman, who don't need no man, and I -"

"I can't believe our child shares your genes, Niall," Harry sighed seriously. 

"Hazza Styles, I can't help it that I am the superior species. You just didn't work hard enough," Niall retorted. Zayn snickered from the sidelines while he watched the two bicker. 

"Without me, you wouldn't have a child to begin with, Niall. Ungrateful bastard, you are," Harry grumbled. "I grew our child.  _Grew_  her."

"Yeah, and I grew a carrot in my backyard last year, Haz," Niall said. Zayn laughed out loud at that, giggling to himself, Niall still cackling on the phone. 

"You're both twats," Harry hissed, throwing her phone at Zayn and pulling back onto the road so she could get the two of them home. 

"Nialler, tell me about James," Zayn said with a breathy laugh. Niall cleared his throat and stuttered. 

"Don't really know what you mean by that, mate. You have to be more specific," he replied. 

"Tell me about the club then," Zayn demanded. Niall went silent for a beat before he was chuckling nervously. 

"Jesus, you're serious right now?" he asked the phone. Zayn shared a secret look with Harry, but shook his head, making sure Harry knew not to say anything about Ophelia just yet. 

"Yeah, we'd like to talk about this. We have, what, twenty minutes before either of us gets to the flat? We can use this time wisely," Harry reasoned, slowing down her driving to make sure she got to her flat around the same time Niall and her daughter did. "If it bothers you too much, please tell us, and we'll drop it," she added when Niall was silent. 

"Not really, because we're definitely talking about this," Zayn interrupted. Niall sighed heavily and cleared his throat again. 

"Right, so, James started this group at Uni. At first, it was just a band of brothers type of thing. He never really meant for it to get out of hand," Niall explained slowly. 

"But it still did, didn't it?" Harry wondered. 

"Indeed it did, young one," he said quietly. "There was a kid in the club, his name was Lucas or Logan or Luka. Who the hell knows at this point. Point is, lad told James that he thought they should start hazing other blokes who wanted to join. Make them drink so much or smoke so much weed. It started off really tame." Niall stopped to deal with Ophelia, giving her what sounded like her cuppa or a snack, . 

"Focus, Niall," Zayn laughed. 

"Can't trust him to keep his attention for more than a minute," Harry teased. 

"And yet you still slept with me, Ms. I-See-A-Cat-And-Lose-My-Shit," Niall hissed into the phone, sending Harry and Zayn into a fit of hysterics. "Anyway, interrupting bastards. I gave Philly her cup and let her put her headphones on to listen to Mummy's classic rock music so she couldn't hear me. Now, as I was saying. The bloke brought it up to some of the other lads, and finally, they agreed with him just so they didn't have to see him upset. James said he was super intense and aggressive. Worse than that kid in sixth form." 

"Did James try to stop it?" Harry asked. 

"Not that I know of. By the time things starting getting bad at home, James was already making it in uni. I went to visit him one weekend when mum and dad were having a row, and ended up going to a few raves with him and his mates. Everyone was laid back, so I thought they were alright lads," he explained. Harry and Zayn were quiet to let him finish talking. Ophelia spoke up in the background. 

"Daddy, can we go to the park and swing on the big swings?" she asked sweetly. 

"Yes, love, we can go to the big swings," Niall replied. He opened to his mouth to speak again, but Philly interrupted again. 

"You're too big to fit on my size swings," she spoke through a mouthful of biscuits. Harry and Zayn laughed loudly in Niall's ear. "Christ above, put your headphones back on, bug," he added with a breathy sigh. 

"So you visited him for the weekend," Harry offered, prompting Niall to keep talking. 

"One of the guys there, Logan, went to a party with us. He was acting odd the entire night; shaking and smoking a cigarette every ten minutes. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him until we finally got back to our rooms. He pulled out a bag of pills and downed three right there. James made him leave when he saw my face, thought I was going to pass out on him. 

"James and Logan talked the next day. Well, James yelled, and Logan listened. But basically it was about exposing me to drugs and whatnot. I guess it was more than he'd ever seen. That afternoon, James called one of his mates and told him Logan was out," Niall finished. He cursed under his breath, a car horn sounding through the phone. 

"What do you mean out? Out of the club?" Zayn questioned. 

"As far as I know. I went home the next Monday, but that entire morning, all the guys were in James' room getting something ready. Getting what ready, I have no idea," he replied. 

"Why did the family ostracize him though? Seems a bit harsh to exclude someone from the family if they just started a club," Harry commented. 

Niall laughed lowly and cleared his throat. "Maybe so, but it was definitely needed if he tried to kill me," he deadpanned. Silence followed his statement, so he continued. "Philly was still just a wee babs, and I took her to see mum and dad. Took some convincing but Peter, the brother who lives in Glasgow, promised he'd keep James away for a bit. He'd been getting into the liquor cabinet more often than not, so I didn't want him around Ophelia." 

"Thank you for that," Harry mumbled. 

"Of course, love," Niall said reassuringly. "Peter took the lad to Glasgow and kept him quiet for a day or two. Mum made the mistake of posting pictures to Facebook, and James found out I kept Ophelia from him. Everyone had met her but him. Idiot drove from Glasgow to London in one sitting. He and Logan jumped me." 

"You told us some random jumped you, you dick!" Harry cried. Zayn handed her a cigarette and lit it for her, willing her to calm down. "I'll never forgive you for that," she added once she blew the smoke. 

"I know, Bee. I didn't want to worry anybody with it. He left town pretty quick after that. I called Peter and Josie to let them know what he'd done. They had already thrown him out of their houses. Couple weeks later, he called me and apologized, begging for a place to stay. I hung up on him, obviously, and sent him a picture of Philly bedroom. Told him he threw away the chance to be an uncle. Hadn't heard from him since," he explained. 

Zayn coughed on his cigarette. "Haz told me you sent it," he said slowly. 

"Just to show him - wait, how the hell did you get it?" Niall asked quickly. Harry cut her eyes at Zayn and shook her head. 

"Meet us at the flat and we'll explain," Harry instructed. 

"Low chance of taking Philly to the swings, huh?" 

"Very, very low," she replied. Niall agreed and hung up the phone quickly. Harry scrolled through her contact list until she landed on Lou's number. She dialed without thinking and pressed the phone to her ear. 

"That didn't take very long," a high voice spoke. Harry giggled softly and cleared her throat. 

"No, I guess it didn't. Lou, are you around Liam, by chance?" she asked. 

"Indeed. Do you want to talk to him?" Lou wondered. Harry looked over at Zayn and ignored his warning glance. 

"Is he beat up? Hurt?" 

Lou was quiet for a moment before she let out a shaky breath. "He's been asleep for the past half hour. Got it pretty bad today," she replied. "Why? Do you know who did this?" 

Harry tightened her grip on the steering wheel and put on her blinker, heading back to the dormitories. "Yes, and I have a pretty good hunch that Liam does too. I'm on my way back to the dorms. Be ready in five, yeah? Wake Liam and have him ready as well. We're going on a road trip." 

Lou laughed lightly. "Yes ma'am, captain. Do I need to tell him anything?" 

"Probably won't get in the car if you do say something. I'll be there soon," Harry said softly. 

"Sounds good," Lou whispered. 

"Hey, Lou?" 

"Yes, Hazza?" 

"Promise you won't think any differently of me when we get to my flat, yeah?" Harry tried. Lou snorted. 

"As if anything could make me feel different. But, if you require a promise, then it's a promise, flowers. I promise I won't." 

After Harry ended the call, and endured a five minute lecture from Zayn, they pulled up to the dorms to pick the other two up. Lou was seen walking down the steps quickly, Liam trailing behind her. When he looked up to see Haz and Zayn, he stopped in his tracks. Lou turned and walked right up to him, took hold of his ear and pulled him to the car. 

"What if she flips over Philly?" Zayn asked before they could get to the car. Harry sighed and smiled as Lou trudged ahead of Liam, not letting up on his ear. 

"I have a feeling she won't run." 

"And if she does?" 

"I'll still have Philly, and that's all I'll ever need." 

Zayn's nod was followed by a chipper Lou pushing Liam into the backseat, a grumbling only heard seconds before she pointed a finger in his direction. 

Harry laughed at the interaction and put the car in drive, heading for the flat. Zayn sent Niall a quick text and told him to wait inside with Philly. 

She could do this. 


End file.
